Tales From the Midnight Maw Ch. 02

The tavern was dim, lit by the warm orange flicker of firelight and the low blue glow of arcane runes etched into the bottles behind the bar. Outside, Gloambridge slept, unaware--or perhaps willfully ignorant--of the oddities that stirred beneath their eaves.

Annabelle stood behind the counter with a tankard in one hand and her eyes locked on the three adventurers now seated before her. Salem, still radiant in her lilac lingerie, lounged back against the bar as if she owned it. Eric leaned forward, chin in hand, his eyes bright and full of interest. Chris sat apart but alert, fingers lightly tracing the rim of his ale.

Annabelle took a sip of her own drink, then exhaled. "Right. So. Seymore isn't the only horny monster around here."

That got their attention.

"This land, Evescradle" she began, her voice dipping into a storyteller's cadence, "used to be under the rule of something sinister. About a decade back, a Vampire Lord named Varos moved into a forgotten fortress in the hills. He started small--thralls, blood cults, night raids. You know the deal."

Eric chuckled. "Real classic villain shit."

Annabelle grinned. "Exactly. Until one day a group of adventurers came along--much like yourselves--and put an end to his reign. Staked him through the heart. Poof."

"That easy?" Chris asked, raising a brow.

"Not quite. He had enough arcane juice left in him for one last spiteful act. A curse. A big one. The kind of thing that would blight the land, kill the crops, turn the region into a dead zone for a hundred years."

She paused for effect, then laughed softly. "Only... he choked on his own blood during the incantation. Mispronounced something. Slurred a phrase or two. Scholars think he was aiming for drought and famine." She motioned with her mug to the window, indicating the town beyond. "Clearly that wasn't what happened."

"So, what did he cast instead?" Salem asked, eyes narrowing with curiosity.

"Lust," Annabelle said. "Pure, overwhelming, corrupting lust. Every creature, every spell-touched being in Evescradle was warped. Monsters became insatiable. Spirits turned flirtatious, even perverse. Magic itself twisted into pleasure. And yes, even the people. If you had a hint magic in your blood, you were touched by the curse."

There was a long silence. Eric broke it.

"So what you're saying is... dude tried to curse the crops and instead cursed everyone's pants off?"

"More or less."

"Amazing."

Annabelle nodded. "The effects were... chaotic at first. Some towns tried to fight it. Others gave in. But eventually, most folks just stopped coming here. Not because it's too dangerous--but because they don't want to get caught moaning through a mimic's tentacles, or getting groped by a flirtatious treant."

Salem smirked. "Sounds like most people lack imagination."

"Or they just have dignity," Chris muttered.

Eric raised his mug. "We shed our dignity a long time ago."

They all laughed.

"So why isn't the town hosting an orgy right now, if this curse is so powerful?" asked Chris.

"Glad I'm not the only one disappointed," Eric added.

Annabelle shrugged. "We've done what we could to dispel the magic on our own, but even mages have their limits. Still, the effects have lost their potency. So we've learned to cope with our urges in more acceptable ways."

"Like taming a mimic and using it as a sex toy?" Salem asked with a smirk. her clothes were still on the bar.

"Like taming a mimic and using him as a sex toy," Annabelle agreed, blushing.

"Oh, I'm certainly not one to judge." Salem added with a wink.

Annabelle leaned forward, both hands on the bar. Her blouse had been refastened, but her neckline still teased. "Which is why I think you three might actually thrive in Evescradle. Maybe even make a difference. If you're not afraid to get... a little messy."

Salem licked her lips. "Define 'messy.'"

Eric chuckled. "If it's anything like what we just experienced, you're gonna have to level up that Prestidigitation spell a bit more."

Chris leaned forward to join the conversation. "You want us to make a difference in a land cursed with sex magic. How?"

"Stick around," Annabelle said, voice low and sultry. "And I'll show you."

~~~

The sun rose in a cloudless sky the following morning. Dawn crept gently through the warped glass windows of the shared room above the Midnight Maw, casting streaks of golden light across tangled sheets and scattered clothes. A soft yawn broke the stillness.

Salem stretched lazily, one toned leg sliding out from beneath the covers, her toes curling as she greeted the morning. Her lavender hair was a tousled mess, but her movements were still elegant--fluid, like poured wine.

She rose from bed with a sigh, her bra hanging from the bedpost like a banner of victory. Across the room, a full-length mirror stood propped in the corner, catching her attention. She approached it, nude, hips swaying with a languid confidence.

She admired herself with no shame. Her skin glowed in the morning light, kissed faintly by magic. Her hands drifted over her waist, her hips, her breasts--fingertips pausing at the faint bite mark just above her collarbone. Courtesy of last night's... encounter.

"Still got it," she whispered to her reflection with a smirk.

From the bed behind her came a groggy voice. "Oh, you never lost it."

Salem jumped, nearly knocking over the mirror, covering herself with her arms. "Fuck! Eric! I forgot you were here!"

The bard grinned from where he lay, shirtless and smug, one arm tucked behind his head. "Didn't mean to scare you. I just wasn't ready to die this morning from sheer visual overstimulation."

Salem grabbed the nearest pillow and lobbed it at him. "Peep again and I'll turn your lute into a suppository."

"Ooh, kinky," he said, dodging expertly. "Noted for later."

But there was no venom in her glare. Her smirk returned as she turned away and bent to rummage through her bag, giving him a long, slow view of her backside. "Enjoy the show, bard. But don't get any ideas."

"I already have several. Want me to write them into a ballad?"

"That's the most romantic thing anyone's ever said while staring at my pussy."

She pulled out a fresh set of lacy underthings--another set in lilac, this time with gold trim--and slowly dressed. "But only if you want your balls hexed."

He laughed, pushing himself upright. The sheet slipped off his hips, earning a curiuos glance that was less than subtle. "Gods, I missed actual beds. And real walls. And... fuck, how many days has it been since we had a bath?"

"Too many," she agreed, adjusting her bra. "Prestidigitation is great for laundry and armpits, but my skin needs a proper soak."

Eric scratched his balls and sniffed the hand soon after. "Yeah. You're not wrong."

"Of course I'm not."

Together, they gathered their things--Eric, still shamelessly shirtless--and headed downstairs in search of food, hot water, and maybe, if the mood allowed... a little trouble.

Downstairs, the Midnight Maw was already alive with morning clatter--soft footfalls on wood, the hiss of eggs on a skillet, the occasional creak of old furniture settling into a new day.

Chris was already at a table near the hearth, his back to the fire and his plate stacked with sausages, eggs, and a wedge of steaming bread. He chewed methodically, eyes watching the flames, posture relaxed but always ready.

"You eat like you've never tasted a meal before," Eric said as he and Salem strolled in.

"I eat like someone who got up on time," Chris replied, not looking up. "Unlike some people who spend their mornings flirting in their underwear."

"Unfair," Eric said, sliding into a seat. "I flirt fully nude, thank you."

Salem settled beside him with a graceful fold of limbs. "He does. It's tragic."

Chris smirked around his mug. "You two have no shame."

"Not anymore," they said in unison, then laughed.

A few moments later, Annabelle appeared from behind the bar, radiant in a simple blouse and tight leather trousers that hugged her hips like a glove. Her smile was wide and warm, but her eyes sparkled like she'd already been up to mischief.

"Well look at you all--bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and full of sass. Can I get you two something?"

"Coffee, eggs, and a long soak," Salem said, setting her pack down beside her chair. "In that order."

Eric raised a hand. "Make that two. Maybe three. I could use a long soak... with company."

Annabelle laughed, pouring mugs from a nearby kettle. "Well, you're half in luck."

Salem perked up. "There's a bathhouse?"

"There is," Annabelle said, sliding mugs toward them. "Clean. Comfortable. Very... mundane."

Eric pouted. "That sounds like the opposite of fun."

Annabelle leaned forward on her elbows, lowering her voice just enough to draw them in, though her cleavage fought for attention. "Or... I know a place. Still got the warmth. Still got the steam. But there's something else to it."

Chris finally looked up. "Something cursed?"

Annabelle tilted her head. "Only if you believe everything people say. It's a hot spring. Natural. Remote. Beautiful."

"And magical?" Salem asked.

Annabelle nodded. "There's still traces of Lord Varos' influence there. Most avoid it."

Chris raised a brow. "Is it dangerous?"

"Not really," she said. "Not unless you count being horny as dangerous. Which, in your case, Eric..."

"I prefer 'high-risk adventurer of the flesh,' thank you."

Annabelle smiled. "So. If you're serious about helping this town--and I think you might be--you could start there. A little cleansing. A little magical curiosity. And if you're a couple of good boys, maybe even a bit of coin."

"What about me?" asked Salem.

Annabelle returned the smirk. "I prefer you naughty. So, what do you say?"

Chris nodded slowly. "We're in."

"Good." She slid a small parchment toward him. "It's an easy hike. You'll find your way."

As they rose from the table, Annabelle leaned close to Salem and whispered, "If you see anything... unusual, don't panic. The spring doesn't hurt anyone. It just... helps them get to know one another better."

Salem raised a brow. "You're enjoying this."

Annabelle winked. "Immensely. I'd blame the curse--but even without it, I'd still think of you all as fun company."

~~~

The grove was hushed.

Nestled deep in the woods, framed by vine-draped stone and thick blooming flora, the hot spring exhaled a constant, gentle mist. Its surface shimmered with enchantment--pink and gold hues rippling like desire just beneath the skin.

Ivy stood at the edge, her bare feet curling over the slick rock, her eyes locked on the reflection below.

She was a vision wrapped in tension: short and softly curved, her pink skin almost glowing against the rising steam. A head of dark curls framed her pretty face, and her curled horns arched delicately from her temples like twin crescents, kissed by gold at the tips.

Her eyes--wide, golden, and full of conflict--stared down at herself with both reverence and hesitation. Her reflection wavered, haloed in steam, her features flickering between determined and uncertain. She shifted slightly, and the movement made her thighs brush, already dewy from the heat curling up her body like it knew her.

Ivy's breath hitched. She wasn't ready.

Her robe was loose, slipping slightly from one shoulder. Beneath it, her form was lithe, her curves subtle but full of warmth. A line of sweat trickled between her modest breasts, drawing the eye to the symbol resting there--a phallic amulet carved from obsidian and strung on a delicate chain of gold.

The mark of her faith.

She reached for it, fingers trembling as she lifted it free from her cleavage.

The symbol was unmistakably suggestive--intentionally so. The Order of the Velvet Thorn didn't shy away from what it was: a pleasure cult masked in divinity. Ivy had joined when she was barely grown, full of questions, longing for purpose, desperate to feel wanted by something--or someone--bigger than herself.

Now, days before her final initiation right here in this spring, she wasn't so sure. There were so many promises... and so many lies. The magic she'd been granted was very real. Very powerful. But where had it really come from?

She turned the charm in her fingers. It was warm. Always was. But it wasn't guidance. It wasn't comfort. Not anymore.

She looked to the spring, watching her reflection waver with each ripple of enchanted heat. In just a few short days she'd join her fellow initiates here. She knew what would transpire. Mostly. That wasn't what bothered her, not really.

"Is this really who I am?" she whispered. "Is this what I want?"

Her voice cracked. She swallowed it down.

Her hands went to her sash. She hesitated... then untied it.

Her robe slipped off her shoulders and down her body like a silken sigh. She stepped out of it and stood naked, the mist kissing every inch of her. Her body was soft but strong, full of life. Her breasts, perky and proud. Her thighs, thick and trembling from tension. Her tail--a delicate, spaded thing--twitched with uncertainty behind her.

She stepped into the spring. Certain she was alone. Certain it was safe.

The water rose around her ankles, her calves, her thighs. Lapping at her hairless mound like the lovers she fantasized about. She shivered--not from cold, but from exposure. Vulnerability.

By the time it reached her breasts, she felt it: the pulse of magic in the water. It didn't burn. It seduced. So long as she was alone, it would do no more.

At the center of the pool, she let herself fall backward and float. Her limbs spread, the charm still resting on her chest, nestled between her tits. Her eyes closed. Her ears dipped beneath the surface, muting the world outside. The steam closed over her like a blanket. Serenity and solitude.

"Please," she whispered. "If you hear me... if I belong to you... give me a sign. Speak to me. I'm listening."

The gods answered with silence.

~~~

The spring greeted them like a lover in waiting--warm, fragrant, and thick with lusty promises.

They stepped through the tree line into a clearing wreathed in curling mist. Sunlight filtered through tall boughs and dappled the water with gold. Every surface glistened. Every rock was slick and inviting. Magic shimmered beneath the surface of the spring like hidden firelight, pink and golden and pulsing faintly with each ripple.

Salem let out a delighted sigh. "Well. This is... decadent." She felt the steam warm her skin, and the magic warm between her thighs.

Eric whistled. "I feel like I'm about to get seduced by a bath."

Chris gave a short nod, already unbuckling his gear. "Let's not waste time. Get in, clean up, don't flirt with anything sexually cursed."

"You say that like it's not the entire reason I adventured in the first place," Eric replied, shrugging off his vest.

Salem was already tugging her boots off, hair draped over one shoulder. Her long, graceful fingers worked the buckles on her corset with ease, and when it came free, she exhaled like she'd been holding her breath for hours. Her breasts, barely constrained by the lacy bra beneath, rose and fell with every teasing motion as she pulled it free of her body, swaying as she stepped out of her clothes.

She stood naked beside the pool, stretching her arms over her head. Her body glowed in the mist--tall, elegant, and sexy as a goddess on holiday. "Dibs on the smoothest rock."

Eric made a strangled noise. "You... I mean--okay. Yeah. That's fine."

"See something you like, bard?" she teased, sauntering toward the water, turning so her landing strip was visible through the steam.

"Every godsdamn inch," he muttered quietly.

He undressed with less grace but equal enthusiasm, his cock already twitching at half-attention as he stepped into the mist. He tossed his boots aside and flung his breeches into a bush. "Annabelle wasn't kidding. I can feel the curse already. It's strong, but not enough to lose control."

Chris said nothing, but he'd stripped down too and stepped into the water with quiet confidence, the lean muscle of his back flexing as he lowered himself in with barely a ripple. Whether it be the curse, or Salem's curves, his cock was also hard. He closed his eyes and let the warmth lap over his shoulders, ignoring the perverse thoughts now racing through his mind.

Salem slid into the water beside him, the spring curling around her curves like it missed her. She moaned softly as the heat kissed her thighs. And everywhere in between.

Eric stood at the edge, grinning like a boy with a secret.

"Don't," Salem said flatly.

"Oh, I'm doing it."

"Eric--"

"Cannonbaaa--"

~~~

Ivy floated in stillness.

The spring held her like a cradle. Her tail drifted lazily beneath the surface, her thighs parted slightly as she let the warmth soak into the deepest corners of her body. Her skin, slick with mist and glistening from her earlier prayer, glowed like fresh cherry petals in the dawn. Her nipples floated just above the surface, dark obsidian tips, on hills of rose-tinted flesh.

She'd been there for what felt like hours. Listening. Reflecting. Hoping.

Was that a voice?

She blinked. A murmur in the mist. One--then another. Low. Feminine. Laughing.

Her breath caught. Was it the gods? Had they finally answered?

Then she heard a splash--just a small one. Feet stepping into water. A moan.

Wait.

She sat upright fast, her breasts bouncing as the water lapped around her in sudden waves. She held the charm of the Velvet Thorn tightly in one fist, scanning the mist with wide golden eyes.

That wasn't divine laughter. That wasn't ethereal wisdom.

That was someone else. I'm not alone here.

"Oh no."

She crouched low, arms over her chest, and squinted into the fog. Shapes. Shadows. Bodies. She needed to get out of here. To warn them.

And then--

"Cannonbaaaall!"

A naked man-shaped blur launched into the air through the mist, limbs flailing gleefully.

"No--WAIT--!"

Too late.

The splash hit like a thunderclap.

Magic roared beneath the surface. Runes awakened. Gold and pink light surged through the spring. The air shimmered, and Ivy felt the pulse deep in her bones.

A rush of energy--wet, heated, aroused--poured through her like lightning down her spine. The lust burning inside her was amplified.

Her mouth opened in a silent scream. A moan.

Then, everything went white.

~~~

The first thing Eric noticed was the cold.

Not the water--no, the spring was still hot--but a distinct, unexpected chill between his thighs. He blinked, then blinked again.

His eyelashes felt... longer?

He pushed upright, gasping as something very soft bounced heavily on his chest. He looked down.

Breasts.

Full, pert, softly jiggling breasts.

"What the actual f--"

His voice was higher. Like Salem's familiar alto. Sweet. Breathless.

His hands shot to his chest, cupping the undeniably real weight of his new anatomy. His nipples stiffened against his palms and he yelped.

"Why are these so sensitive?!"

Salem groaned nearby and sat up with a splash.

Only--it wasn't Salem.

"Eric?" Chris's voice came from her mouth.

Salem blinked down at her hands, then at her chest--flat. Muscular. Hairy.

"Oh gods," she whispered, rubbing her face. "I have stubble."

"Salem?" Eric--in Salem's body--squeaked.

"Wait," Salem-in-Chris muttered, holding out her arms. "What... why are they so veiny? Is this what it feels like to be a tree?!"

"Where's my body?" came a new voice--tight, flustered, and rising in pitch.

All eyes turned to the other end of the pool.

Chris, or rather... Chris-in-Ivy, was approaching, waist-deep in the water and staring at a reflection that did not belong to him. The pink skin, the silver horns, the water droplets clinging to his soaked curves.

He looked mortified.

"I... I have... hips."

From behind them, someone whimpered.

Ivy--who now occupied Eric's tall, muscular form--peeked out from behind her new forearm, staring at her reflection with wide eyes. Her cock bobbed obscenely above the water.

"Oh no," she whispered. "I'm a man."

Eric splashed toward her. "Oh my gods, you're me! Wait... who the fuck are you?"

Salem (in Chris's body) snorted. "This is a nightmare."

"No," Eric-in-Salem beamed, cupping her own boobs again. "This is amazing."

"I hate this," Chris muttered from behind Ivy's dainty hands. "And like Eric said, whose body even is this?"

"Name's Ivy. We can do introductions later," Ivy replied from Eric's naked form.

"Okay," Salem said, taking command despite the deep baritone now rattling from her throat. "Everyone calm down. Let's just--let's figure this out. Something triggered a body-swap spell. Classic arcane mishap. Temporary. Probably."

"Probably?!" Chris-in-Ivy yelped.

Eric-in-Salem swam over to Ivy-in-Chris. "You're looking real pretty today, Ranger."

"Touch me and I'll knock out your teeth--her teeth--whichever teeth you currently own."

Salem scratched her stubbled chin. "We need to find the source of the enchantment. Magical hot springs don't just swap souls for fun. There's usually a catalyst. A condition that--."

"Clearly you're from out-of-town," Ivy interrupted quietly, still staring at her reflection in awe. "I know what this is. We use it in one of the older Thorn rituals. A baptism. Arcane bonding." She blushed in Eric's skin.

"Okay," said Salem. "More on that later. For now, how do we switch back?"

"It... resets once everyone... um... reaches completion."

Everyone stared.

"Completion?" Chris said flatly.

"Yeah. Sexually."

"You mean--?" Eric's grin widened on Salems's face. "Orgasm?"

Salem groaned. "Of course it's orgasm."

"Why is it always orgasm?" Chris deadpanned.

"I didn't design the sex curse," Ivy whimpered. "I just fell into it!"

Salem glanced around them through Chris' eyes. "So that's the trigger. And by the looks of this mist, the spring won't be letting any of us leave until we've satisfied the conditions to reset it." She waved to the barrier around them.

The steam pushed gently against a wall of gold and pink, mist reflecting mist. Ivy's eyes went wide in Eric's shade of blue. They'd never mentioned that in her lessons.

Eric-in-Salem's-body clapped her hands together. "Okay! New plan. Sexy team building exercise."

Salem raised a finger. "No one's doing anything until we agree on consent."

Chris muttered, "Consent to die in someone else's body, sure."

Salem turned. "Chris. I'm in your body. Be nice or I'll start doing kegels. Anally."

Chris blanched. "Don't you dare."

The spring shimmered with heat, heavy with steam and anticipation. Four bodies floated in borrowed skin, magic still pulsing faintly in the runes beneath the surface, like the spring was waiting--expecting.

"I can't believe I ended up with a cock," Ivy muttered, blinking down at the thick, half-hard length bobbing between her legs. Eric's cock. Her cock now.

Eric-in-Salem grinned as he rolled onto his back and floated lazily, her breasts proudly peeking above the waterline. "And I've got boobs. Salem's boobs, no less. They're divine."

Chris-in-Ivy clung to the edge of the spring like he was afraid any movement might lead to disaster. His arms were folded across his new chest, tail twitching, cheeks glowing pink. He refused to speak.

Salem looked calm and confident in Chris' form, though her hands flexed under the surface. She was analyzing--not panicking. Her dark brows, now furrowed on Chris's chiseled face, gave her a scholarly sort of edge.

"Okay," she said slowly. "If Ivy's right, this should be simple. Everyone has to orgasm in their borrowed body before we're reset. We can either wait for the spell to wear off, which could be days--if ever--or we can get to work."

Eric paddled lazily, her breasts jiggling in happy rhythm. "So, what you're saying is... we all need to start boning. All of us."

"Not necessarily. Masturbation will probably suffice," Salem corrected.

Chris groaned. "This is the dumbest curse I've ever heard of."

"It's also brilliant," Eric added cheerfully. "If you like mutual masturbation and soapy naked bodies."

"I don't," Chris snapped, hugging Ivy's generous chest tighter. The nipples beneath his arms were already betraying him, hard and sensitive. His tail twitched again. The spell was growing stronger. He could feel heat between his thighs, and not just from the water.

"I do," Eric offered, then reached up and cupped Salem's borrowed breasts again, her fingers massaging gently, lovingly. "Salem, you've really got a lovely shape. Elegant. Very... responsive."

Salem rolled her eyes. "Try not to overheat my body before I get it back."

Eric plunged a hand beneath the water, the fingers barely visible through the steam as they followed Salem's landing strip like a pathway. "Too late."

Ivy, meanwhile, was studying her new body with quiet fascination. Her hand drifted beneath the water, tentative fingers brushing against the base of Eric's cock. She sucked in a sharp breath.

"Sorry, this is my first time. That's... gods, that's weird. It twitches."

"They tend to do that," Salem said, watching her closely. "Just breathe. Explore. There's no rush."

Eric leaned closer to her. "Start from the base. Stroke slow. Use your thumb near the tip. And don't forget the balls. They get lonely."

"I wasn't going to!" Ivy squeaked, but her hand moved again, this time wrapping her fingers around the shaft.

It throbbed. Warm. Heavy. Responsive.

Her breath hitched. She looked half-terrified, half-mesmerized.

"Oh gods. This is so not what I expected."

"Good?" Salem asked.

Ivy blushed. "... Not bad."

Chris sighed loudly. "I'm not doing this."

"You'll have to," Salem said calmly. "Or we're all stuck."

Eric turned in the water, swimming toward Chris like a siren. Her wet, naked form shimmered in the mist, Salem's slender hips swaying with each stroke.

"Come on, big guy. Just look at my titties and get to work."

Chris's glare could've cut stone.

"You realize I'm going to have to look you in the eye after this."

Eric grinned. "Better than eye contact during all this."

Chris groaned. He turned to Ivy-in-Eric. "You tell me. I'm a stranger, and you're clearly--inexperienced."

"I'm not a child," Ivy replied.

"Thank gods," said Eric.

"Be that as it may," Chris continued, "I want to hear it from you."

Ivy rolled her Eric-colored eyes. "It's fine. We can unpack the weirdness later, but you have my consent to--masturbate. Or whatever. Just do it before anyone catches us or we'll be arguing about this from the fucking Shadowfell."

Chris still wasn't happy about it, but his hand slipped beneath the water. Slowly. Tentatively. Exploring the body of a girl he'd just met.

He gasped the moment he found Ivy's clit, touching gently. His new body reacted instantly--nipples stiffening, thighs twitching, tail lifting just a little. He cursed, but didn't stop. There was more to do. So much more.

Salem watched them all from her perch on a smooth rock. Her large hands were between her legs now, wrapped around Chris' thick cock. She stroked slowly, watching the pre-cum bead at the tip and slide down in the water.

"Fascinating," she murmured. "So much pressure in the base. Gods, no wonder you're all so moody."

One by one, they all gave in to the demands of the enchanted water. Chris was moaning through tiefling lips, fingers deep in Ivy's pussy, experiencing something magically unique.

Salem stroked Chris' cock with eager curiosity. Her hands familiar with the exercise. Her mind a jumble from the alien sensation.

Ivy had sunk deeper into the water, her lips parted as she found a rhythm, hand now gliding smoothly over the slick, hard shaft between her thighs. If she had any reservations about the task at hand, her groans--Eric's groans--betrayed none of them.

Eric had one hand between Salem's legs, fingers teasing her clit, the other pinching a nipple. Surprisingly, he seemed to be struggling the most.

"Everything feels so good," he mused, in Salem's sweet melody. "But nothing feels--I dunno--right."

"I don't know how you don't play with these all day," she said, sighing and ignoring Eric. "Chris, your balls are wired like a harp."

Her hands worked slowly, one stroking the ranger's cock, tracing his veins and teasing below the shaft. The other cupped his balls. Heavy. Tender. Loaded like a weapon.

The steam grew heavier. Louder. Filled with breathy moans, splashing water, and the soft, wet sounds of self-discovery.

Then--

A gasp.

Salem's eyes flew wide in Chris' hazel hues. Her hips jerked forward in the water, stroking hard and fast until a thick rope of pearly white surged from her cock. Her whole body clenched in surprised release.

A flare of white light burst from her chest--and in the next heartbeat, vanished beneath the surface.

She surfaced with a yelp, opening her eyes. Her real eyes.

"I'm me again!" She felt her body, groping much the same as Eric has minutes earlier. Glad to be herself again.

"Damnit! I was just starting to figure you out!" said Eric. It came from Ivy's body.

Salem smirked. "All that talk about pleasing women... and my thighs are barely tingling. Anyway--first switch complete!"

Eric-in-Ivy looked down at herself "Still got tits at least."

Chris said nothing, now in Eric's body.

"I've never even seen a dick this close before," Ivy said in Chris' rough voice. Sighing, she started jerking-off again. "And now I've touched two in just the last ten minutes..."

"Lucky you're really a girl," Chris finally said, staring awkwardly down at his cock. Eric's cock.

"Just close your eyes and try not to think too hard about it," Salem offered, pushing herself out of the water to dry off. She wasn't taking any chances of reactivating the spell.

"At least you don't have to figure out how a pussy works," said Eric, already knuckle deep in Ivy's pinkest parts."I mean... I alrea--nevermind."

Salem burst into laughter. Chris groaned. Ivy said nothing, her focus solely on pleasuring herself.

Eric groaned softly in frustration, her soaked fingers gliding back and forth through Ivy's slick folds. She circled her clit, tried different angles, even used both hands once. It felt good--great, even--but it wasn't enough.

"Why is nothing happening?" he moaned in Ivy's unfamiliar tone. "I'm so close, I'm so horny, but it's like... I'm not built for this."

From across the spring, Ivy--currently inside Chris's strong, scarred body--grinned, her voice low and teasing.

"Having trouble making a girl cum, bard?"

Eric turned to her with a glare. "Excuse you--I've made hundreds of girls cum. I'm just not used to being one."

"Mmm. Excuses," Ivy purred, watching him with amused confidence. The spell was making her bolder. "Maybe you need someone who actually knows how to handle your new hardware."

Eric grumbled, still circling her own clit without success. "I swear I'm doing it right."

Chris--trapped in Eric's tall, muscular frame--sat stiffly at the edge of the pool, legs spread awkwardly, dick bobbing unsubtly beneath the surface. His hands remained stubbornly on either side of him.

"I'm not touching this," he muttered. "I know it's technically mine, but it's also Eric's. He'll never let me live it down."

"Oh, you're absolutely right," Eric said breathlessly. "I'll talk about it every day. Hell, I'll start introducing you as the man who jerked me off."

Chris groaned into his hands.

Salem, now comfortably dried off and back in her own body, sat perched on a large flat stone just above water level. She tilted her head, lips quirking with mischief.

"Chris," she said smoothly. "Would you like some help?"

He blinked. "What? Seriously?"

"I'd rather not be stuck here all day because Eric can't figure out how a pussy works," she teased. "Let's speed things along. And besides, I've never had the chance to watch Eric pout as much as he's about to."

Eric flushed. "... You're evil. You wouldn't really..."

Salem shrugged off the accusation with a lazy grin. "I know what I like."

She turned to Chris, still wearing Eric's flesh. Every inch of it.. "You. Up on the rock."

Chris blinked. "What?"

"I need access to that cock. And there's no way in the hells I'm getting back into the water until we've fixed this mess."

Chris muttered something about this being his worst nightmare, but climbed up onto the flat stone all the same. Water trickled down his thighs as he sat back, legs spread wide. His--Eric's--cock hung heavy between his thighs, flushed and ready.

Salem crawled forward on all fours, her hips swaying behind her as she moved with feline grace. The view from behind must have been divine.

Eric--still stranded in Ivy's curvy, sensitive body--sat frozen, wide-eyed, her own hand forgotten between her legs as he watched his friend kneel down in front of his borrowed body. The jealousy was thick and so was his shaft.

Salem gave it one long, slow lick.

Chris groaned. "Oh gods..."

Eric whimpered. "Oh gods... this is so unfair... Don't stop."

Salem smirked around the shaft, then sank her mouth lower, tongue swirling around the head before taking him deep. Her hand wrapped around the base, stroking slowly as her head bobbed in smooth, practiced rhythm.

Chris's head fell back with a moan. Ivy looked away, cheeks red. Eric couldn't stop watching.

"Salem," he gasped, voice high and shaky. "That's so... weird. And hot. But mostly weird."

Salem gave a satisfied hum around the cock, eyes flicking up to meet Eric's as she took it all the way to the base, filling her throat. Watching him squirm with envy was a reward all on its own. She winked.

Chris bucked his borrowed hips gently. His hands went to Salem's hair and tangled in the lavender strands as his breathing quickened. So good. So close. She wasn't sucking his cock anymore. He was feeding it to her. And she was ravenous.

Ivy snuck quick glances, unsure where to look. Salem's lips around her friend's shaft, she sway of her tits beneath her as she sucked him deeper. And then there was Eric, trapped in her own body, touching it in ways she'd never seen from this angle.

Ivy stroked slowly, delighted to have something thick and veiny to play with, and so many reasons to stay hard. It was intoxicating, and she wondered how much of this desire was from the spell...

Eric panted in Ivy's tones, fingering her pussy while keeping his focus on the show. "I can't believe I'm watching this."

Salem pulled back just enough to whisper, "Neither can I." She wrapped her lips around Eric's body once more, plunging deep with a wet slurp.

And then--

Chris groaned, deep and raw, as orgasm overtook him. He exploded in Salem's mouth. She kept him deep, swallowing every drop of cum with her lips sealed around his shaft.

"Mmm." A bright flash. A gasp.

And then, Chris slumped back in his own body, chest heaving, limbs limp. His cock was hard but lacking the satisfying throb he'd just been robbed of.

Salem stood, licking her lips, smug as a cat with cream. She swallowed the load with a satisfying hum, grinning at Eric as she played with the few drops that had fallen to her breasts.

Eric just sat there, soaked, stunned, and still a girl.

"Okay," he whispered. "That was... so many feelings."

Salem smirked. "One to go."

Eric stared down at herself, fingers twitching. "You know, this is starting to feel like a performance issue." He dove back in, moaning softly.

Ivy, now lounging in Eric's warm, masculine form, sighed deeply. "Great. I get to start from the beginning. Hope your balls still have something left to give."

But as she touched Eric's cock, feeling the now familiar textures of his shaft, it twitched beneath her fingertip. The spell was growing more powerful, fueled by the ecstasy around them. She gave it a tentative stroke, and it felt just as good as before. Cumming wouldn't be an issue.

She turned to Chris and Salem, now standing at the shore and watching with anticipation. The ranger held a stunned look on his face, clearly in shock from the sexy elf's actions.

"Wait," he said. "Why didn't Eric swap? That would've put him in his own body and Ivy in hers, and we'd be fine."

Salem sat cross-legged nearby, toweling off her hair. "Because there's no one else for the spell to shuffle them into."

Chris blinked.

Salem continued, "The magic was based on a chain reaction. Four people. Four switches. But now that you and I are back, there's no 'wrong' bodies left for Eric and Ivy to swap into that they haven't already experienced. They're stuck like this because otherwise it would be too easy to resolve the curse."

"So...?"

"They still have to climax," Salem said, matter-of-fact. "Together, I assume."

Eric groaned. "Of course we do."

Turning back to Eric, moaning in her own body, Ivy felt inspired.

"Need a hand, bard?"

He sat on a submerged ledge, legs parted in defeat, face flushed and damp from steam and other things. Her fingers twitched between her thighs, close... so close... but not enough.

He turned to Ivy as she made her offer. Her cock--his cock-- floated lazily at the surface, visibly hard, precum painting little clouds in the water.

Her golden eyes gleamed. The grin that spread across Eric's face--her face--was wicked. "Think you can do better?"

"Oh," she purred. "I can help with that. After all, nobody knows my pussy better than me."

Eric's eyes went wide.

Ivy-in-Eric pushed off the rock and swam toward him with slow, deliberate strokes. Her tall, wet frame glistened with heat, water cascading down her chest, clinging to Eric's muscles in ways Ivy hadn't yet realized would be so distracting.

"Ivy?" Salem said, voice high and unsure. "What are you doing?"

"Finishing this," she said simply.

Before he could protest, she lifted Eric out of the water like he weighed nothing. Her strong arms wrapped beneath his thighs, hoisting him up and setting him down gently on a smooth stone ledge just above the waterline. His legs spread instinctively, her soft pink pussy exposed to her in a view she'd only seen in mirrors.

Ivy dropped between them, still standing waist-deep, and leaned forward with a single, hungry breath. The scent of her own arousal rose to meet her borrowed nostrils. It was divine.

"Wait--ah--gods--!"

Eric's head fell back with a cry as Ivy's tongue found his clit--her clit. Her mouth was warm, firm, deliberate. There was no awkward fumbling. She knew this body inside and out. Knew what worked. What didn't. She sucked softly on her clit, tongue swirling, lips teasing, pushing a finger inside to play with that spot she liked the most.

Eric's whole body shivered as he watched Ivy taste her own juices. Probably not for the first time, but certainly from this perspective. The fact that it was his own eyes looking back at him felt surreal.

"Oh fuck."

Ivy groaned around him--herself--stroking her cock beneath the surface at the same time. One hand gripped his hip, holding him steady as her tongue dove deeper, lapping between her folds, exploring the slick entrance like she'd never been inside a woman before--because she hadn't.

Salem leaned back on her elbows, watching with an appreciative smirk. Chris stood in silence, ignoring the twitch between his thighs.

Eric whimpered, thighs trembling. Hands teasing his breasts and nipples.

"Ivy--wait--fuck--fuck--"

Ivy stroked harder under the water, her hand pumping in rhythm with the motions of her mouth. She knew she was close. Knew he was too.

But Ivy had other plans.

Eric groaned through her pastel lips as Ivy stood. Her temporary smile was twisted into a wicked form of mischief as she towered over him, stroking his cock with gentle hands.

"Ready for the full-body experience, bard?"

Eric gulped. "What's that supposed to mean?'

Ivy answered by stepping forward, pushing the tip of her cock against her own, virgin pussy. Eric didn't protest, but his eyes betrayed his uncertainty.

"Don't pretend you're not curious," Ivy whispered, laying on the natural charm in Eric's voice.

"Are you sure you want your first time to be... like this," asked Salem. She and Chris were still watching on bated breath.

Ivy shrugged. "How many people get to say they lost their virginity from someone else's point-of-view?" She rubbed the tip of Eric's cock against herself, glistening with excitement.

A beat passed, then Eric smiled. "Okay, let's do it! I've always wondered wh--holy fuck!"

Ivy stole his words with a single thrust. She'd fingered herself before. Sometimes with two. At most three.

This was much bigger than three of her dainty little fingers, and her pussy stretched to take him. She made it halfway before taking a pause, backing out, and then pushing deeper inside with the second thrust. His shaft slickened in her juices, each successive push going further into her depths.

Eric squealed with pleasure--and pain--as Ivy bottomed out inside him, the weight of his balls against her rosey ass for the briefest of moments.

"Fuck! I never knew it felt this good to be inside--well--me."

Eric's golden eyes rolled back in Ivy's skull, speechless and panting, spreading her legs wider to beckon for more.

"Hey Eric," Salem called. "I know I told you to go fuck yourself, but this seems a bit literal."

"Oh we're just getting started," Ivy whispered. Her hips fell back and slammed back inside without warning. She watched her body beneath her, tits jiggling with the momentum of her thrusts, picking up a steady rhythm.

Ivy couldn't take her eyes off it. The view of Eric's cock sliding in and out of her little pink pussy, watching her body lose its innocence from a perspective so unique and surreal. She looked so pretty. Radiant. Blissful.

She was going to wreck herself with this massive tool between her thighs.

Eric moaned and squealed with every thrust, eyes rolling back as the pleasure overwhelmed him. "Fucking hells--all those lucky women..."

"It's a pretty nice cock," Ivy breathed, digging Eric's nails into her pink thighs as she continued to vigorously fuck herself. "But I'm gonna need you to cum for me. Now."

Ivy could feel the pressure in the base of her shaft. The way her balls shifted, tighter against her body, preparing for release. The buildup was going to tip over soon, and she knew it was going to be all or nothing.

Good thing she knew her body better than Eric.

She pounded her body harder and faster, the sounds of wet skin on skin echoing off the magical barrier. Ivy lowered her hand to Eric's borrowed clit and rubbed in slow circles, fueling the fire between his thighs. It wouldn't be long now.

"You know," Chris murmured from the shore. "It wouldn't be such a bad thing if he stayed like this."

"Yeah," Salem replied quietly. "I kinda prefer him as a pink tiefling with thick thighs."

Below them, the show was quickly coming to an end. Ivy panted through Eric's teeth as she thrust.

"Eric, cum for me. I can't--I'm gonna--oh gods!"

She seated her cock deep in her pussy one last time, tip to cervix as the throbbing commenced. Eric moaned beneath her, digging his fabulously painted nails into the flesh of his own back as the sensation overwhelmed him. Ivy stared down in awe, watching her body react as she flooded her pussy with long, pearly ropes of cum.

Eric came. Clenching around her, his entire body shivered with pleasure as the pulses of warmth spread from within, starting between his thighs and radiating everywhere else. It was bliss in it's purest form, a sensation no man had ever been lucky enough to experience.

They held one another a heartbeat longer. Cum dripped from Ivy's body, cloudy and sticky in the water between their bodies. For a moment all was silent. Still.

Then--

Flash

Ivy opened her eyes. Her own, beautiful golden eyes. She was still on the rock, staring up at Eric. He looked back, staring into her soul with a grin on his face. He slowly withdrew from her, making her gasp as her body adjusted to the emptiness. The tingles were still there.

Eric floated on his back, panting, limbs twitching, eyes unfocused. "Holy shit."

Ivy leaned against the rock, her face flushed, chest heaving. "I have so much more respect for that dick now."

Salem clapped slowly. "Well done."

Chris muttered, "I need therapy."

One by one, the four adventurers crawled out of the spring and collapsed on the sun-warmed shore, wet, panting, flushed... but whole again.

And the spring? Quiet once more. The magic satisfied. For now.

~~~

The mist settled, curling low over the spring like a satisfied exhale.

The barrier around the grove--the faint shimmer of magic that had sealed them in--crackled once, then faded into nothing. The warmth of the sun reached through the trees again, golden and pure, though the heat in the air still felt heavy, soaked into every trembling limb.

The four adventurers lay strewn along the rocky shore, soaked, flushed, and utterly exhausted.

Eric was the first to stir, stretching his arms above his head with a satisfied groan. "I feel like I just survived a siege."

Salem, lounging nearby with a lazy smile, turned her head toward the pink-skinned tiefling now toweling herself dry.

"Well," she drawled, voice still rich and teasing, "now that we've all gotten to know each other so intimately... care to introduce yourself properly?"

Ivy, cheeks glowing pinker than her skin, ducked her head shyly but smiled.

"Ivy," she said, her voice warm but nervous. "Cleric of the Velvet Thorn."

Chris, dragging himself upright with a grunt, muttered, "A cleric. Figures."

Ivy laughed, twirling the charm around her neck--the small obsidian-and-gold symbol of the Thorn, now glinting freshly in the sun.

"I was supposed to be here for my baptism ritual," she explained. "In two days. A full initiation into the Velvet Thorn. I wanted to see the place first. Have some sort of connection. But..."

Her smile faltered slightly.

"But?" Salem prompted, sitting up, water dripping from her colorful hair in slow rivulets.

Ivy shrugged, wrapping her arms around her knees. "I wasn't sure I was ready. I've studied the rites. The devotion. The openness it requires. But feeling ready and being ready are different things."

Eric gave her a lazy grin. "If it helps... you handled today's 'rites' like a champ."

Ivy blushed furiously. "That wasn't exactly in the manual." She smirked. "Well, it is, just not in a way I expected."

Salem tilted her head thoughtfully. "The ritual was tangled up in the sexual magic of this spring. What sort of initiation is it?"

Ivy nodded."Pretty much what you just experienced. My other initiates and I would enter the pool--and we wouldn't leave until we'd bonded. Shed our innocence. They neglected to mention the barrier. I always assumed there'd be some way to back out of it if I got cold feet..."

"So what are you gonna do now?" Chris asked. "I assume they won't be happy about what just happened."

"Only if they find out," Ivy replied. "But truth be told, I came here seeking answers, and I think I found them. I don't want to go back to the Velvet Thorn."

Salem smiled. "Then maybe all you need is to finish the last step with me."

She stood, stretching her lithe form to full height. She was glowing--radiant, even--with satisfaction and power. She reached out a hand to Ivy.

"What do you mean?"

"Stand with me."

Ivy blinked, then took the offered hand and rose to her feet. Water dripped from her tail, glistening on her thighs.

Salem traced a simple sigil in the air--a slow, sensual swirl ending in a heart. The mist seemed to hum around them.

"We didn't just come here to take a bath. This curse doesn't need to be permanent. I can do it on my own, but it will be much easier if the two of us work together. Your divine magic combined with my arcana--what do you say, Ivy?"

"It's brilliant," Eric interrupted. "We get to complete our quest, and Ivy can go back and tell her people the pool is no longer enchanted. They won't be able to perform their ritual."

"Exactly," said Salem. "They don't need to know how or why. They'll never suspect you did it yourself, not with your magic still being initiate level. You'll have the perfect excuse to walk away from the church, no questions asked."

Ivy broke into a smile. "I know a few people I can trust. I'll slip word to them, and it'll get back to our leaders. You're right, with the curse lifted, they'll have to postpone the ritual until they can figure something else out! It won't be permanent, but it'll give me enough time to sort my affairs and dip out of that cult once and for all..."

She took Salem's hand, a fiery confidence now burning in her chest.

"Let's get started," Salem said gently, leading her to stand with her feet in the water. "With a proper baptism. One the gods might actually approve of."

Ivy's voice trembled slightly, but she spoke the words with conviction. "I embrace the Thorn. Its pleasures, its pains, its endless growth."

The spring stirred beneath them--gentle now, like a cat purring.

Salem smiled, then closed her eyes. Her hands shifted in the air, voice echoing as she spoke the magic into existence. The pouch by her discarded clothes flipped open on its own, a pinch of graveyard dust and a few drops of vinegar floating from within.

The water glowed with the divine radiance of Ivy's blessing. It mixed with the components of Salem's spellcraft. Verbal. Somatic. Material. Combining in a flash of arcane brilliance.

A soft pulse of pink light glowed Ivy for a moment, then faded into her skin.

She gasped, her eyes shimmering with sudden unshed tears--but her smile was wide and true. Her body shimmered with magic, pure and holy and powerful.

Eric clapped. "Congratulations. You're officially licensed to get us into even more trouble."

Chris groaned. "Great. Another mage with a sex-cult background."

Salem turned toward the group, hands on her hips, a wicked glint in her eye.

"Well," she said, surveying the bedraggled, still vaguely sticky group, "after that performance, I think we've earned a proper bath. One without magical intervention."

Eric perked up. "Rub-a-dub-dub, four perverts in a tub?"

Salem laughed. "Only if you behave."

Chris muttered, dragging himself toward his scattered clothes. "Like that's even possible."

Ivy, still dazed but happy, gathered her robe and grinned. "I'll have to be quick. They're gonna be wondering where I am and I have to spread word of this quickly, and subtly."

Eric winked at her. "Spread word of a certain bard and his amazing cock as well."

Salem splashed him in the face with water as she stepped back into the hot spring for a proper cleaning.

~~~

Eric leaned lazily against the counter of the Midnight Maw, still toweling off his hair, and grinned at the stunned silence.

"I think we broke her," he said cheerfully.

Annabelle slowly set down the cloth where she'd been cleaning the bar top. Her eyes were wide, jaw dropped, and a stunned silence was the best she could muster. Salem had just finished describing their hot spring encounter--in vivid detail.

"So now we're just waiting to hear from our new cleric friend and make sure all is well. Oh! I do hope she knows the herbal components for a birth control potion. Eric did leave quite a load in her--well, he left it in himself I should say. My, this has been a day full of identity crises"

Annabelle opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.

Chris, deadpan as ever, dropped onto a barstool and muttered, "So what we're really trying to say is: quest complete."

Annabelle coughed violently into her hand. "I--uh--I think I need to grab some supplies from the cellar. I'll just--I'll be right back."

She fled behind the bar at something just shy of a sprint.

Eric watched her disappear through the trapdoor with a smirk. He leaned toward the others and stage-whispered, "Supplies, huh? Sounds like someone needs a quick round with Seymore."

Salem snorted.

That's when someone squeaked behind them. Ivy, newly robed but still looking slightly dazed from the afternoon's activities, lingered awkwardly by the door. She twisted her hands together once, then stepped forward, squaring her shoulders with a sudden flash of courage.

"I, um," she began. "I'm in a bit of trouble. After... today, I mean."

Eric raised an eyebrow. "Trouble?"

Ivy nodded, tail twitching nervously. "I may have trusted the wrong people. It was supposed to be discrete, but somehow word got out that I'm partly responsible for ruining the ritual. They're pretty pissed. I'm expected to go before the council this evening."

Salem tilted her head. "What happens if you do?"

Ivy shivered. "Let's just say I'd rather not find out."

Eric leaned casually on the counter. "So what you're saying is... you're between career options."

Ivy bit her lip, then straightened. "What I'm saying is... if you need a healer, I'm available. And I'm pretty good with a whip too, if that helps."

There was a beat of silence.

Salem turned to the quest board. Annabelle had been busy since their arrival. What was once an empty slab of bare oak was now littered with fresh parchment. Official wax stamps all in place to make them binding.

More than a few of them were inked with skulls, indicating a certain level of risk involved. The more skulls, the more dangerous, and the more rewarding.

"Looks like we're gonna need one," she said simply.

Ivy beamed.

Eric grinned wider. "Welcome to the party, Pinky."

Ivy flushed, but she didn't correct him.

Salem tilted her head, studying her. "We'll have to make it official. Maybe a nice little induction ceremony."

Ivy's tail flicked shyly. "Will there be clothes involved?"

Eric winked. "That depends on your definition of 'ceremony.'"

They laughed, but Ivy noticed something was missing. Or someone. "Where's the other guy?"

Salem glanced around for Chris, suddenly aware of his absence. She rolled her eyes. "He does that. Somehow."

~~~

Annabelle stood before the wine rack, unbuttoning her blouse as she prepared the encantation.

"By Tongue. By Teeth. B--"

"By the way," came a voice to her left.

Annabelle turned with start, eyes wide as Chris ran a thumb across his stubble. She'd never heard him follow. He approached slowly, without menace, a smirk playing across his lips. Her shirt hung open, but his eyes never left hers.

"Oh! I--um--I just needed to grab--"

He backed her slowly against the wall, towering above as he leaned in, bracing against it with his hand. His muscled arm was meer inches from her cheek, flush with embarrassment and excitement. She played with the ends of her blouse in her fingers, biting her lip as the ranger leaned closer.

He whispered in her ear. "Before you run off to play with your pet, I was just wondering..."

"Y--yes?" She breathed, cheeks growing flush with arousal. His arm was so thick, and veiny. It reminded her of another part of him she'd become intimately familiar with the night before.

His voice was rugged. "You mentioned something about coin?"