[COM] Ardent: A fantasy curse

“Hagor, I’m telling you. This place is giving me a bad feeling,”

In a small rural village, so small that it would often be overlooked in most maps from the bigger cities, usually not even noticed unless you actually visit it. Two adventurers were making their way down the main road, a simple dirt trail between the buildings, sticking out not just because of their garments and battle worn weaponry, but also how they differ physically from the locals.

“Come on Zax, we’ve been on the road for days. Ya just bein’ paranoid,” The larger compatriot, Hagorsaid with a smile on his bearded face. The friendly grin contrasted with his built form. His large muscles and hair dusted gut fully exposed when the big barbarian was clad in but simple shorts, fur boots, and tight leather straps that only highlighted his hairy form. Each slight movement earned a slight creak from the straps struggling to stay together.

“I am not paranoid,” Zax said, speeding up before stopping in front of Hagor, causing the large man to halt. For most, the sight of the large barbarian stopping for a slim wizard who barely came to his chest would be a rather comical, or perhaps tragic, sight. Though Hagor was more confused as he saw his friend and lover’s serious expression, “Haven’t you noticed how the villagers here are… different?”

Hagor took his friend’s concerned tone and looked around, not even trying to be subtle as his brow furrowed, trying to figure out what was wrong. “Ya mean cuz they’re fat?”

“Shhh. Keep it down you Lomux,” Zax said, trying to quiet the large barbarian from gathering the attention of the locals. Though the wizard trying to silence the larger man earned the duo more looks as people watched.

“Zax, calm down. It just means they got good grub here,” Hagor said, placing a hand on Zax’s shoulder as the barbarian crouched down to look his friend in the eye.

“Hagor, it’s not just that they’re fat. Have you noticed how only the men here are fat?” Zax said in a slight whisper, his words making Hagor glance around and realise that the wizard was right. Whilst there were only a few people walking down the street, or giving the adventurers a side eye, only the men were obese. Some of them were so large their clothing was stretching against their bulbous bodies.

“Huh. Okay, that is kinda weird… But we’re not gonna find out standing around and on an empty stomach,” Hagor said, not missing a beat as he lifted Zen up like he weighed nothing, which might have been true for the barbarian’s strength. Hagor standing tall and continuing his stride towards the sight of the tavern. “Sides, the guys in the tavern will tell us loads as we eat.”

Zax’s pitiful struggle made them quite a sight before Hagor opened the door and strode into the tavern. Just like outside, there were an abundance of obese men throughout the tavern, though all seemed more focused on gorging than on the new arrivals. Hagor barely took in the feasting before him as he came up to the counter of the bar, seeing the barkeep in midst of his own bite of food. The man himself was among the larger of those in the village. The shirt and apron he wore were stretched tight and starting to tear over his bulbous moobs and belly. His sauce stained cheeks and chins wobbled as he finished his meal before turning to the adventuring duo.

“Welcome, URRRPP, oof sorry bout that. How can I help you lot?” He asked, voice deep with fat.

“Hey there man, we’re just passing. What’s good to eat here?” Hagor asked, not missing a beat as he lowered Zax on a seat. The wizard indignant and blushing from the way he had been manhandled. Though his scolding was halted as the barkeep brought a glass bowl filled with strips of papers.

“Well boys, since you’re here I’ll let you in on an offer. All adventurers who come here get to pick a strip, you could get lucky and snag a free meal for you and your troupe,” The barkeep said, pressing up against the counter as his belly began to roll over. “Though with just you two, might not be much.”

“Hah, I don’t know about you, but I could eat an entire herd.” Hagor laughed, patting his firm gut proudly.

“Hagor I don’t,” Zax started to say, only to stop as Hagor brought the bowl before the wizard.

“Come on Hun, I bet you’ll win for us.” Hagor winked, his smile burning away Zax’s scepticism as he reached into the bowl and pulled one of the strips. Looking it over, he saw only one word, ‘Drink.’

“Oh, not bad. That slip gets you a free drink… though it has to be only for a mug size.” The barkeep said with a chuckle, reaching to scratch the back of his head, showing his thick arms and the sweat stains on his clothing.

“Why so specific?”

“Well some guys tried to get away with filling an entire barrel and counting that as a drink.”

“Ah.” Zax said, seeing how that could be abused. Before he could respond, Hagor reached a hand into the bowl, making a show of feeling around for a slip before pulling it out. In his hand was an oddly coloured strip. Zax noticed the bartender was looking on, letting out a gasp and seeming to lose his jovial energy.

“Hah, I won.” Hagor said, unaware of the mood in the tavern shifting so suddenly. The gorging men were no longer eating, some caught mid bite as they looked to Hagor.

“Oh son… I’m so sorry. But thank you.” The barkeep said, sighing deeply  as he shook his head.

“Huh? What ya me-” Hagor began to say, only to stop as a piece of meat suddenly flew into his mouth. Zax and Hagor were taken aback by the sudden attack, even more so since the food seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

“What the fuck did you do?” Zax said, getting up on the counter and pressing against the barkeep’s belly, gripping the huge man’s clothing. All the while, Hagor had just managed to swallow the food, before another item threw into him.

“This town was cursed,” The barkeep began to say, looking away from Hagor as he ate to look into Zax’s eyes. “We had tried to work a way for a bountiful harvest, and we got that. But the men were cursed to feed and gorge, growing bigger and bigger. Hell, I was smaller than you less than a week ago before the curse befell. A mystic told us we can transfer the hunger and force feeding of the curse, but that it would have to be luck. That some poor man would pick the cursed strip and free this town of hunger, the food will be materialised and feed him more and more.” The barkeep said, shocking Zax with the knowledge that the man before him was more than double Hagor’s size had grown in only a few days.

“How long will the curse last?” Zax asked, already trying to think of how to break the curse. The wizards blood turning cold as the barkeep answered

“Forever.”

Zax turned over, seeing Hagor now keeping up a pace as he chewed and swallowed, not expecting the food as he opened his mouth for it. The muscular man grows fatter before Zax’s eyes, his solid stomach steadily swelling visible with every bite, his muscular arms and legs starting to soften with a layer of fat along with his drooping chest. When one of Hagor’s leather straps snapped against the tide of fat, Zax had seen enough. Reaching into his pouch, Zax quickly found the item he needed.

“We’re leaving Hagor.” Zax said, grabbing the arm of his lover before activating the charm. The tavern was replaced with a swirl of bright lights and blowing wind, the two men seemingly floating and falling simultaneously before they landed on hard dirt, only softened by the soft grass.

“Ugh. What was that, Za-URRRRPP!” Hagor said, letting out a belch as he panted slightly from the feast. The large barbarian sitting up, showing just how much his body had softened up.

“I had to get you out, Hagor. Look at you.” Zax said, sitting up and looking around, finding that the two were in a valley between two towering mountains. Sighing that there was little chance of food coming, and hopefully being away from the village will weaken the curse, Zax started to stand, only to topple back against Hagor.

“Whoa, whoa, hey there bud. You did some serious magic. You need to rest.” Hagor said as he pulled Zax against him, letting the smaller man sink slightly into his soft fat.

“But I…” Zax began to say, only to find his eyes drooping a bit. “Okay… just a moment,” He said, drifting off to sleep as Hagor kept watch.

“Wish he let me eat a bit more… I'm still hungry.” Hagor said to himself, looking around before he noticed something flying across the sky. Squinting his eyes, he bit back a curse as he saw what was heading to him… Food.

…

Zax found himself slowly drifting out of sleep, still exhausted, though knowing he had to awaken as he rolled over. The warm mattress moulds around his form.

… wait… he wasn’t on a mattress.

Springing upright and trying to ignore the throbbing headache, Zax looked around trying to figure out what happened. He saw neither the green grass nor Hagor. Instead he found himself across a vast flesh coloured plain dotted with thick patches of brown grass.

Trying to stand, the ground beneath him shifted almost like a slime as he struggled to move about. Brushing a hand over one of the brown patches, he was shocked to realise it was hair. Looking around, Zax tried to figure out what had happened. Trying to walk across the mass, Zax noticed despite having started in a valley, the mage couldn’t see the hills that had surrounded him and Hagor. Getting around on unsteady feet, Zax noticed a stream of food seeming to fly through the air, a pit in his stomach as he began to follow it, seeing it seem to disappear into the vast, musky mass. Getting closer and closer, Zax was taken aback by deep sounds, recognising them as belches from when Hagor would eat.

“By the Gods… Hagor!” Zax gasped when he came to the epicentre of where the food was disappearing into, seeing his long-time companion’s face. The chiselled face now bloated with fat, now even bigger as the massive mouth was easily big enough for Zax to fall into. The large eyes that were being squinted with the fat surrounding it glanced over to him.

“Zax… you’re up… URRRRPPPP!” Hagor’s deep voice echoed around, the massive blob face barely pausing in his feasting as he smiled at Zax, seeming uncaring of just how gigantic Hagor had become.

“H-Hagor… Look at you.” Zax said, practically crawling up to Hagor’s round face, pressing his hands against the beard-covered mass that was probably Hagor’s cheeks, needing to spread far to grab the fat sacks.