Servants of the Corrupter
Part 1

Escape. That was the only thing on Asteril's mind as he rode through the dark forest on his magicked broomstick. He had to get away from her. The witch of the dark forest. The Corrupter.

It was the dead of night, and as the trees whizzed past him, he recalled the stories. Dark tales scant on detail, claiming that if she was able to catch you then your doom would be sealed forever. If one was unfortunate enough to cross paths with this particular enchantress...

Asteril's broomstick vanished out from underneath him in an instant, and he found himself skidding along the carpet of grass and brush, tumbling head over paws until he crashed, back-first, into a tree trunk, nearly bending his tail out of shape.

With all his strength, he sprang up from his slumped position, only to fall forward onto his face. He was completely winded, and his lungs burned from the impact of the crash. It was all he could do to simply roll over and lie on his back to spare himself from eating mud.

He would be casting a healing incantation were it not for his lack of breath. With effort, he pushed himself upright again, taking deep breaths as he tried to clear the pain from his chest. As he sat on the forest floor gasping for air, trying to regain his composure, he lamented his reason for flying so recklessly. 

He had seen her. He knew, he just knew that the shadowy figure he saw was the Corrupter. The glowing green eyes leering at him were unmistakable. They were the eyes of one who had forsaken the tenets of magic. The eyes of a demon.

A sound of rustling leaves caught his attention. But, rather than invoke his healing spell, he instead opted for a magical source of light in hopes that he would be able to frighten away whatever was about to make him its midnight snack. "Ignis albus lumen scintillae!" He hoarsely cried out, causing a ball of white fire to float above him.

The rustling subsided, replaced by silence, and no further sounds emerged from the dark wood surrounding him. But when his eyes finally adjusted to the light, his blood ran cold as he looked upon the other cat crouched before him.

It was her.

Her green eyes fixated upon him and he knew there was no running this time. No spells or prayers could ensure his escape...

"Why?" he asked, trembling with fear as he watched her slowly stalk toward him. "Please, spare me! I'll do anything you wish of me! Please!"

In response, the enchantress simply held up a paw and placed one finger over Asteril's mouth. "Hush, now. I mean you no harm, my pet..." She said with a sly grin.

"Then what do you want!? I-" Asteril tried to get answers, but was silenced again by a firm press on his snout by the woman's lingering finger.

"Hush, say I. Your despair is warranted, be assured; yet know this. Your life shall not be forfeit, should you swear your service to me."

Asteril began to cry tears of deepest rage. How could this have happened to him? He would not stand for it! He would fight back, despite the impossible odds, just like the heroes of old!

With his breath returned to him, he sprang backward from the clutches of the witch, and invoked another spell. "Ignis albus erit explodet!" He shouted through his tears, causing the ball of white flame to explode before him engulfing the dark figure in its blistering heat.

The blast hit its target, but did little more than leave the enchantress annoyed at his defiant display. She rose to her feet without any hint of injury, brushing herself off as she watched the flames die down around her.

"Impudence is unbecoming, young mage," she scolded with an unamused tone. "Very well. I have given you an opportunity, yet you have rebuked me." The enchantress raised her arms aloft and began chanting her own magic, and Asteril was thrown back into the tree trunk once again by the resulting shockwave. This time, his tail was broken for sure.

"Declaro, cattus transformabitur caniculus. Dormiet..." She called out as the wind swirled around her. Each remaining lick of the white fire was extinguished and the forest fell pitch dark once more, except for the ominous glow of her green eyes.

Asteril felt his eyelids grow heavy and a sensation of falling backwards. His consciousness quickly faded away, and he fell into a deep sleep. 

Drifting through his unconsciousness, he dreamed of his life before his quest into the forest, when he would boast about his skills to the other mages in his village. He dreamed of his bold plot to visit the dark forest and claim the legendary gilded apples so that he might be blessed with eternal youth. He dreamed of his time studying under his former master, and the follies of his childhood. His whole life seemed to be flashing before his eyes.
***
When he finally awoke, it was still pitch dark. He blinked hard and tried to make out any details in his surroundings, and looked around to see if there was any sign of the Corrupter. When he attempted to bring his arms forward to prop himself up, he found them bound up behind his back. His mouth was stuffed with something that tasted like a sweaty sock, and around his waist he could feel something... poofy. As if his underwear were made of fluffy cotton.

His eyes finally adjusted to the low light and he beheld the cage he was being kept in. The bottom, sides, and top were all solid, and the set of bars on one wall seemed to be the only exit. Peering past the bars, Asteril could see that his cage was in a windowless room with a stairway leading to the floor above. In fact, there appeared to be nothing else in the chamber besides his cage. Shifting himself into a more comfortable upright sitting position, he intended to eventually stand and try to see further into the dark before him.

The sound of the door opening at the top of the stairs gave him pause. It was the Corrupter, coming to inspect her captive.

She descended the steps gracefully, and her soft footfalls echoed throughout the empty chamber. Asteril couldn't help but quake as he watched her shadowy form come toward him, her green eyes locked onto his every movement. He shook uncontrollably within his makeshift prison. The Corrupter's menacing presence and his sheer helplessness made her seem as if she was twice, or even three times as tall as before.

But with each step she took closer to him, Asteril realized that the apparent illusion of her gigantitude was no mere trick. She was enormous compared to before.

Or... maybe he was smaller.

The true size of the room containing his cage was revealed by the light cast from the open door, and as Asteril noticed that everything was in the correct proportions except for him, he finally realized that he'd been shrunk down by her spell in the forest. What a devious trap he'd found himself in!

His captor came to a stop in front of the tiny cage and knelt in front. Her piercing emerald eyes fixated on his own, and she began to speak, albeit this time more casually than before.

"Welcome to your new home, my new servant. How are you finding the accomodations? Too cramped?" She spoke, feasting her eyes on his bound form. His squirming was beautiful.

The Corrupter then waved a hand in front of her, and Asteril was magically divested of his gag and was able to speak once again.

"I will nev-" He choked on his would-be defiant words as he was taken aback by the almost squeaky sound of his own voice. The words were his, but the pitch and tone were all wrong. He sounded just like a child.

Asteril froze and his eyes opened wide. In the soft light, he could finally look upon himself and see what had truly happened.

His once orange striped fur had been replaced with a mostly grey coat with fluffy white belly fur. His feetpaws were much the same with white sock markings extending up to his knees. His formerly retractable claws were stuck in the outward position and appeared to be dulled and shortened. The fluffy cotton cloud he sat upon... His stomach fluttered with embarrassment, and the Corrupter smirked at his realization.

"What did you do to me!?"

"Your outburst in the forest was quite unbecoming. Like a child throwing a tantrum." She said, opening the cage. "Come."

She reached inside and picked him up effortlessly despite his squirming, and carried him upstairs. Asteril hurled profanities and complaints of unfairness, until they finally came to a stop in what appeared to be a bedroom.

The sunny and warm atmosphere contrasted the dour basement, and the flowers and greenery complimented the myriad magical items placed throughout the room. The dissonance from what he'd expected versus what he saw caused Asteril's head to spin.

What's more, the grim and menacing appearance of the Corrupter had melted away in the plain daylight, revealing the form of an elegant and refined woman of taste. Her black fur shimmered in the warm light. It was all very much for Asteril to take in at once.

A worse shock came when they halted in front of a floor-length mirror hanging prominently in the middle of the wall. Asteril's blood ran cold as he stared back at himself. Or rather, what he knew to be himself despite his drastically incorrect appearance.

There in the mirror stood the feline form of the Corrupter, and held on her hip was a puppy. A puppy with grey fur and a white belly, wearing a fluffy diaper.

He looked his reflection up and down several times. Seven or eight years old, he guessed. Far too old to be wearing diapers... What was going on?

His stomach fluttered again, but this time much more urgently.

"I demand loyalty from my servants. So I have given you this form, that you might learn your place, and to whom you belong. Soon, you will accept your new life." She said, smiling at his image in the mirror.

Asteril's stomach was gurgling now, but not in a way that signified hunger. The Corrupter carried him over to the armchair across the room and sat down together with him. The position of her legs forced Asteril's apart and he was made to straddle her thighs with his diaper drooping down between them.

"Please... why are you doing this...?" Asteril asked with tears welling in his eyes. 

Seemingly ignoring Asteril's pleading questions, the tall woman reached down and gently cupped her hand around his diapered butt. The sudden light pressure against his bottom made Asteril blush and try to look away, but the Corrupter simply grabbed his cheeks with her other hand and made him turn back to look her in the eyes.

"Relaxabitur musculus est. Fluxus." She incanted, concentrating and squeezing her hand slightly tighter around Asteril's diapered bottom. Her eyes glowed unnaturally, and the air around them grew warmer as the spell took effect.

"Wait! Wait!" Asteril cried out in disbelief at the sudden change which affected his already transformed body, and he began using his diaper uncontrollably. A mudslide in the rear, and a torrent in the front. He filled his diaper nearly all the way, and he was forced to stare his captor in the face the entire time.

"Very good," She sighed, smiling at his degradation and hefting the mess between his legs. "Permanent charms are quite exhausting to perform, even for one such as me."

Permanent? Asteril began to cry in earnest. Even if he ever managed to escape, there was no telling how he'd ever be able to lift the curses placed on him. Would he be stuck as a diaper-dependent puppy for the rest of his days? It seemed more and more likely with each passing moment in the presence of the Corrupter.

"Now... You were wandering my forest with a goal in mind, yes?" She spoke to the tearful boy with a hint of sympathy in her voice.

Asteril sniffled and calmed himself, feeling that the Corrupter was petting him on the head. It was positively one of the best feelings he had ever experienced, and despite his knowledge that it must be another one of her charms at work, he enjoyed the sensation nonetheless. He leaned his head into her petting hand and quieted himself.

"You came in search of my golden apples. It is quite obvious. Why else would someone ignore the warnings and terrifying stories about the Corrupter?" She continued, smiling at her handiwork. "Between us, I am the one who started the rumors. What better way to lure potential servants than to tempt them with immortality? So many have come before you; and most were a disappointment. Certainly, you will not disappoint me?"

The whimpering puppy had calmed down enough to reply, albeit briefly. "What are you going to do to me?"

She smirked at his question and chuckled. "Only that which I find to be necessary. And should you meet my expectations, you shall be greatly rewarded."

Whatever expectations the witch had, Asteril wasn't about to let himself become her servant. He would play along for the time being and bide his time until he found a sure way to escape. Until then, he would have to be careful not to do anything that would cast suspicion on him or give her any reason to use her powers against him again.

"What is my first task... Mistress?" He probed quietly, trying to sound obedient.

The Corrupter chuckled. "Goodness! Where are my manners? You may address me as Master Elyssa; I find 'Mistress' too old fashioned. Don't you agree, my pet?"

"Yes, Master Elyssa." Asteril bowed his head as he spoke.

"As for your first task... I wish for you to meet with your fellow servant in the orchard. Do try to get along." She commanded and waved her fingers at the mirror across the room, making it shine with brilliant light in reaction. The reflective surface disappeared in a flash, and in its place there stood an open passage.

Fellow servant? Asteril considered that they might be able to help each other escape. 

Elyssa lifted him off of her lap and placed him standing on the warm wooden floor. With another wave of her hand, she divested him of his arm restraints, and in their place furnished him with a handsome new collar around his neck. Instinctively, Asteril reached up and gripped his newly canine paws around it. The material was a fine leather, and as he ran his fingers along it, he felt what seemed to be engraved lettering. The bauble hanging from the front was a smooth, round stone no bigger than a grape.

"Have care. Should you try to remove it, you will not like the consequences."

His hands shot back down to his sides and he turned his attention to the magic doorway. As soon as he took two steps towards it, he noticed his infantile waddle. His diaper was quite full, and the thought that his current state would be someone's first impression of him caused his gut to tighten with embarrassment.

The orchard awaited. As he passed through the gate, he felt it zip shut right behind him with no apparent way back. Shaking himself out of the momentary daze, he began walking towards the trees with purposeful strides, hoping to catch up with whoever this fellow servant was. He kept glancing about for any sign of anyone else but saw nothing but rows and rows of trees.

The sky looked artificial, like the entire area was under a glass dome. Even the wind felt fake. He'd never been outside in a completely enclosed space before. It reminded him more of a greenhouse or a terrarium than a real orchard. There were many odd plants sprouting everywhere, some resembling flowers and others looking like giant vegetables.

"Hail! Heyyy, over here!" A high-pitched voice called from across the field, and he followed its direction to find the other servant waiting near one tree in particular.

His fellow servant was another boy, another puppy shorter than him by a head, and he was dressed in a modest brown robe resembling one a monk might wear. His fur was all white with patches of brown, and he had a head of hair of the same brown.

"Name's Remmy. Well met!" The shorter puppy extended his hand in greeting, smiling as if he weren't a captive of the Corrupter himself.

"Right. My name is... Um..."

His eyes opened wide and he began to panic. He couldn't remember his own name. He felt his collar radiating warmth around his neck, and he knew that it must be responsible for his inability to recall what his name was.

"It's alright. I don't remember my old name either." Remmy consoled him. The eager pup took the other by the hand and reassured him with another smile. "Why don't you just make one up for now?"

Furrowing his brow, the taller puppy concentrated and tried his best to conceive of a suitable moniker. "Hmm... How about... Uhm..." He pondered for almost a full minute while his companion waited patiently.

"Oh, I know! Socks!" Remmy interjected with a brilliant suggestion, grabbing him in a friendly hug.

"Y-Yeah. Socks. Like my fur markings." He raised his brow at Remmy who was clearly very enthusiastic about making friends, and he gave him a cordial squeeze in return. "Anyway, Remmy, what is this place? I have... so many questions."

"Aeternis. The Orchards of Aeternis, to be exact." Remmy began. "This is where the golden apples of immortality grow. And it looks like you've already had a taste."

"What? No I haven't..." Socks couldn't believe such a claim. Unless... "Is that why I'm younger now?"

The golden apples as he understood them could halt the aging process, but to reverse his aging, they must have been much more potent than he expected. And if he had no recollection of consuming an apple, then it must have happened while he was asleep and being transported to Master Elyssa's home.

Remmy confirmed as much, "It must be why. There's no such thing as a spell that can make you immortal, or even reverse aging like the apples can."

"Does that mean you've eaten the apples, too?" Socks inquired.

"Yep! I had my first one over two-hundred years ago!" Remmy replied proudly. "Their power is truly amazing!" He concluded as he pointed upward at the boughs above them.

The artificial sunlight shined against the gloden skin of the apples hanging above them, creating a kaleidoscope of reflections and gleaming sparkles. They each stood for a moment in admiration of the splendiferous sight, and a crisp, fruity aroma swirled around them in the breeze.

"They're beautiful..." Socks commented despite himself as he tried not to stare at the hypnotic fruits in awe.

"Two-hundred years... Seems like yesterday I was just like you. But you have me here to teach you the ropes! Let's look after each other!" Remmy beamed with pride while wagging his tail.

"This has all been pretty vague, though, if I'm being honest. What does serving Master Elyssa even mean?" Socks continued his questioning. "Why are we here?"

"Oh, we're the ones who tend to the lower gardens. And if we don't... Well, I'm not joining them down there anytime soon, I'll tell you that much." Remmy said, shuddering at the thought.

"See, this is what I meant. I don't know what these 'lower gardens' even are. I was just tossed in here and told to find... well, you I guess." He mused, turning back to look at the rows and rows of trees surrounding him.

"Oh..." Remmy sulked. "It's up to me to show it off this time, is it?" He asked rhetorically to his nonpresent master. Remmy shrugged and accepted his implied duty solemnly. "Well, come on then. The entrance is this way."

The pair walked for a while and finally came to an opening in the ground with a spiral staircase leading downward below the soil of the orchard. The staircase itself was rather long, extending down at least ten levels before a long corridor stretched out before them at the base.

As they approached the door at the end of the corridor, Remmy extended his paw and a glyph appeared in front of it. "Only I have the key right now, but you can get a copy soon, I'd wager." He explained, as the glyph reacted to the sealed door, opening it.

Once the door was open, however, the sight that Socks beheld was nothing short of nightmarish.

Lined up in rows like the trees above them, the chamber was filled with monstrous plants. Each plant appeared different, almost sapient; and in the clutches of each one, there was a little boy being tormented. The leaves and vines wrapped themselves around their young victims, immobilizing them, and the unique properties of each plant worked differently on each individual.

The first plant near the entrance held its prisoner in such a way that his anus was accessible to the myriad probing tendrils of his captor. The leaves and vines rubbed his small body sensually and pleasured him without cease.

Another boy to their right was being held in place tighlty with very little room to move even a single finger. The sinister plant's vines probed his most sensitive areas, inflicting a ticklish torture of unimaginable cruelty.

The consistent trait among all of the horrific plants, though, was the fact that each of their victims was being milked for their semen. Some were forced to cum over and over without respite, while others, such as the one near the door, were edged for several days at a time before being 'rewarded' with a ruined orgasm.

It was a cacophony of moaning, crying, begging, and desperate laughter.

Socks knew that he never wanted to end up like these children. He felt a cold chill run down his spine, knowing that this was his future if he failed his master. He had to prove himself somehow, or else he would spend the rest of his life in this room...

"I'm sorry, Socks..." Remmy tried to console his new friend. "I thought she would have told you about this. Even if as a threat..."

"This is terrible... What are they doing to them?"

"These are the Infernal Ones. Master Elyssa made a deal with them in return for her powers. And they created the golden apples to ensure their favorite sources of sustinence could never die."

"So you mean..."

"That one over there, being tickled? He's been here even longer than me. And a few of these kids are probably over a thousand years old, chronologically."

The horror of what he saw was too much. The emotions welling up inside him overwhelmed him, and he fell to his knees in a panic.

Remmy was worried that the poor puppy might lose it completely, but he took him by the hand and led him away from the door, towards a closed off office area.

"If we don't do this, someone else will. You understand?"

"There must be another way..." Socks was beside himself with grief and confusion, looking for any way to rationalize what he'd just seen.

"There isn't. Believe me, I've tried and searched for a way to free them, but it's hopeless once you're given to an Infernal One. And even if we could free them, there's no escaping Master Elyssa."

Socks couldn't even imagine a world where such horrible things were allowed to continue, let alone one in which he was forced to partake in such cruelty. But he had no other choice at the moment. He simply stood and shuffled, defeated, alongside Remmy toward the tormented boys to begin their task.

Remmy stopped in front of each boy and raised his paw. A different glyph than the one before appeared, and the incantation he recited was one that Socks had never heard before.

"Obliviscereris omnia, cruciaberis ad aeternum." Remmy solemnly recited.

Socks watched on as the other puppy made his rounds. Each time Remmy would finish the incantation, the boy before him would cry out in terror and their thrashing would intensify. The spell seemed to be renewing their torment somehow.

"It makes them forget." Remmy explained. "The Infernal ones feed on despair and pleasure, both."

Socks's eyes grew wide in realization.

Remmy moved on to the final boy in the chamber. "If I don't erase their memories of their time stuck down here," He pointed at the boy behind him. "They'd get used to the torment, and the Infernal Ones would be starved for despair. About once every month, I come down here."

"Poor kids have been living the same month over and over again forever. Hell, they can't even age mentally since they keep forgetting everything. Even if they're technically hundreds of years old, it doesn't mean a thing. These are all children on the inside, too."

Remmy walked around the room with Socks, back to the doorway, passing each boy in sequence. Each one was writhing in agony under the effects of their own particular brand of torture, renewed by the diabolical memory-wiping incantation.

Socks shook his head in deibelief, "Is this what I'm supposed to do from now on? Play warden to little boy-torturing plants?"

"If you value your eternal life, then yes. And... please... I don't want to see you end up like them. I couldn't bear to lose another friend..."

Socks pondered his warning as they ascended the spiral stairs back into the orchard above. His mind was racing, trying to conceive a way to free these poor souls before the day came where he would join their ranks. He wondered about the Infernal Ones themselves; and did Master Elyssa know how cruel she was being?

So many questions, and yet so little explanation given. But his pondering was interrupted by a loud and inappropriately timed mess in his still-unchanged diaper. And so a new question came to the forefront of his thoughts.

"So when do I get a... uh... diaper change?" Socks peeped, embarassed to ask such a question to one he'd only just met.

Remmy found his sense of humor once again, and laughed at the notion "Ha! You're quite the presumptuous one, aren't you?"

Socks stared at him.

"Oh, you're serious. Master Elyssa didn't tell you anyhting, did she?"

"Not exactly. Please tell me I can get out of this thing soon!"

Remmy chuckled, "Sorry, Socks. Our next diaper change is tomorrow, and after that, it's another week just like always." He began another lengthy explanation, "But don't worry, you'll get used to it. These diapers are specially enchanted to last for a looong time."

He smiled as he lifted his robe to reveal his own sodden diaper; the cloth was bulging and discolored, but there was no noticable smell nor any signs of leakage.

Magical diapers. Now Socks had seen everything. For a mercy, he would recieve a change the next day. 

Furthermore, the grim task in the lower garden was finished for that month, meaning that he had some time to think about his current situation.

The pair walked together through the rows of trees. Socks asked many questions along the way, and Remmy was happy to give him answers. In fact, Remmy seemed as though he'd been starved for companionship for quite some time, and so he took each opportunity to expound as much information as possible.

Soon, they came upon a cabin in the midst of the trees, nested against a hill with a small waterfall pouring into a spring. Flowers adorned the roof and outer wooden walls, and vines were braided into intricate designs on either side of the doorway. It looked almost peaceful despite the circumstances.

Remmy stopped walking and turned to face Socks, "Home, sweet home." He said happily before turning back around towards the door. "Come on then." He motioned for Socks to follow him inside.

As they entered, Socks's eyes lit up at the sight of all the interesting objects decorating the interior. A large hearth sat off to one corner from which a roaring fire blazed. Beside it, a cupboard stood filled with various jars containing herbs, spices, and other assorted ingredients that could be used in cooking.

A massive shelf filled with hundreds of books stretched along the opposite wall, and a hoard of pillows and blankets lined a nearby sunken area in the floor, forming a cozy nest in which one might read for hours on end if one desired. There was also an assortment of rugs covering most of the wood floors; the plush wool was warm beneath Socks's paws as he trotted over them gingerly.

"This is incredible..." Socks marvelled as Remmy made himself comfortable near the fire. "Did you build this yourself?"

"Yep! For a mercy, Master Elyssa doesn't mind if we make ourselves comfortable in our downtime." Remmy stoked the fireplace as he spoke, "Over my two-hundred years or so, I've managed to turn this place into my own slice of paradise."

"Paradise built on eternal torment... I'd laugh if it wasn't so sad." Socks observed melancholically.

Remmy averted his gaze and sighed, "It's better if you don't even think about that business in the lower garden... There's no point in driving yourself to depression over something we have no control over." He furrowed his brow, "I've already done it. And I've already gotten over it."

Socks padded over to the sunken nest of pillows and fell in, the softness of the cushions welcoming him. The fire was beginning to heat up now, warming Socks through and through. His eyelids began to grow heavy. "I've always wanted to live forever... But I never imagined it would be like this." Socks explained dreamily, his voice growing softer.

The soft crackling of burning logs had lulled Socks to sleep before long. Something, perhaps his enchanted collar playing tricks on his mind or the pleasing scent of Remmy beginning to prepare their dinner, told him everything was going to be alright.

As Socks drifted into the world of his dreams, the word 'paradise' echoed in his head over and over again. Perhaps at the end of it all, he could make peace with his circumstances, and contentedly live out the rest of eternity in relative comfort.

***

"Yes, Master Elyssa. He's still asleep...

Yes, he harbors many doubts, but please... give him some time. He doesn't even know what they're truly capable of yet...

I understand. I'll put it on him soon. But...

No, Master, I would never refuse your orders. But are you certain? His cooperation may be compromised if he can't even ma-

You can remove it? I assumed it was impossible...

By your will. This could be just what he needs to start seeing things our way..."