Warning: This story involves scenes of oral vore and graphic digestion. If this is not your thing then stop reading now. This story may also contain spoilers for the game Ori and the Will of the Wisps. You have been warned!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Ori and the Blind Forest is property of Moon Studios, Microsoft Studios, and Nordic Games.

Ori and the Fallen Guardian

Ori could hardly believe his eyes. The crystal clear waters and vibrant foliage of the Luma Pools were a far cry from anything he had seen in Nibel. The area was so beautiful and full of life, it almost made one forget that just beyond its borders, Niwen was slowly falling into decay. But there was a reason this land had been spared from the blight that gripped the rest of the forest. It was the Strength of the Forest, the embodiment of Niwen's might, that had blessed the area with its power. And it was this that Ori sought, for without it, he could not restore the light to the rest of Niwen.

Despite the Luma Pools' abundant beauty, it still possessed its share of dangers. The creatures inhabiting the area were just as aggressive as ever and the threat of drowning in those pristine waters was very real. But Ori could not allow this to deter him, so after many hard fought battles and perplexing puzzles, he had managed to make his way deep into the heart of the oasis. A strange yet familiar taint filled the air here; odd, considering how untouched the surrounding area had been. Ori started to look around for the wisp, but his search was quickly interrupted as a group of moki emerged from the foliage.

"Something is wrong with Kwolok!" one of them said urgently.

"Hurry!" another added, pointing the way.

Ori quickly sprinted in the direction indicated, hoping that nothing serious had happened to the guardian toad. Kwolok had left the relative safety of his home to help Ori in his search for the Strength of the Forest. He would feel terrible if the guardian had been injured on his behalf. It wasn't long before Ori found the giant toad, wading in a pool of murky water. At first the guardian didn't look too much worse for wear, however upon close inspection one could see that there was a glazed look in his eyes. A viscous purple liquid drooled down his lips, and he looked as though he was struggling to keep his stomach contents down. But before Ori could concern himself too much with the guardian's peculiar state, the Voice of the Forest noticed another wisp floating just in front of the toad's mouth.

"The Strength of the Forest!" the Voice said hopefully "Kwolok found it!"

Ori turned his attention to the small ball of light floating lazily through the air. It began to drift towards him, as if drawn to the spirit by some unseen force. Ori watched intently as the wisp made its way towards him... But so too did Kwolok, the toad seemingly fixated on the tiny flying orb. Ori reached out his paws, preparing to accept the wayward wisp. It was mere inches from his grasp when Kwolok's tongue shot from his mouth, ensnaring the helpless wisp, and dragging it away into his gullet.

It had all happened in the blink of an eye, leaving Ori stunned by the unexpected turn of events. W-Why? Why would Kwolok do this? Ori couldn't seem to wrap his head around it. But the reason for Kwolok's sudden betrayal soon became clear. Ori watched as the toad sank back into the depths, now noticing the distinctive purple tint of the tainted water. The pool bubbled wildly, something clearly transpiring just beneath its murky surface. Suddenly a mass of tentacles shot from the water, latching onto the treetops above. Then, slowly from the depths it rose, a razor sharp maw, wreathed in writhing tentacles. It was the monster from the Wellspring Mill! The very same one that had dammed up the mill and tainted the forest's water with its presence. The thing had caught Ori off guard during their first encounter, and if it hadn't been for the brave Opher, he would have been devoured by the foul creature.

Seeing that monster was already like a bad dream, but what Ori saw next was the stuff of nightmares. The beast dragged Kwolok from the depths, its tendril thoroughly ensnaring the sickly toad, and most horrifying of all, embedding deep into the guardian's back. It all made sense now. This thing was like a parasite, hijacking Kwolok's body to suit its needs. It was the one that had forced Kwolok to devour the Strength of the Forest... And as the toad's glazed eyes drifted to him, Ori realized he was next!

Ori quickly turned and ran back towards the pool of pure water, hoping to swim back the way he came; surely the monster could not follow him there. But a tentacle lashed out at a nearby cliff, sending an avalanche of rocks crashing into the pond, and sealing the spirit's exit. Fortunately the rock slide also opened a new route of escape, and a nearby hanging bulb provided Ori the tool he needed to Bash his way up onto the revealed path. He hopped and dashed through terrain and debris, the beast in close pursuit behind him, using its long flexible tendrils to traverse the treetops and ceilings. What's worse, its monstrous tentacles burst from the ground, attempting to ensnare the fleeing spirit, but Ori narrowly managed to avoid each one.

The road lead to another pool of water that Ori dove into without hesitation. He swam though a series of twisted tunnels, once again hoping that monster could not pursue him into such a narrow space. However is was not enough to stop the beast, who used Kwolok's body like a battering ram, crashing through the walls with reckless abandon. Seeing that he was far from safe, Ori was forced to continue fleeing trough the aquatic cavern. He dodged falling rocks and vicious piranhas as he swam with all his might. Fortunately it wasn't long before the saw he shimmering light of the water's surface. With great urgency he raced towards the light, bursting from the pool and into the air.

But it seemed his luck had finally run out, for he had launched himself right into a giant basin. He looked around frantically as he ran to the far side of the valley, but didn't see any quick means of escape. Eventually his progress was halted as he reached the far wall. Although he could scale the surface, with that monster chasing him, there was simply not enough time. Ori turned around, his eyes growing wide with terror and his back pressing against the wall as the vile beast closed in on his position. He feared this would be his end. There was nowhere to run; nowhere to hide. It seemed his only option was to fight... But could he really bring himself to harm Kwolok?

The enthralled toad grew closer and closer, poised to strike down the cornered spirit. But suddenly the guardian hesitated. He stumbled backwards, letting out a howl of anguish as he wrestled for control of his own body. After a brief struggle, Kwolok once again looked down at Ori, but this time with a small shimmer of lucidity in the toad's eyes.

Through deep labored breaths he spoke "Ori, you mustn't concern yourself with my well-being." the sentence came slowly, as if each word he uttered caused him a great deal of pain "Save... the.. wisp... Return... light... to Niwen..." he let out another roar of agony as the monster drove more tentacles into his back, attempting to wrest control back from the defiant toad.

As painful as it was for Ori to admit, Kwolok was right. If the Strength of the Forest was lost, then there would be no hope for Niwen. The decay would spread, and all would eventually perish. So it was with a heavy heart that Ori steeled himself for battle, preparing to fight the one he called friend.

The parasite had no concern for the spirit's morale quandary. As soon as it regained control, it went on the attack, slamming its tendrils into the wall and floor. Ori felt a shudder beneath him, and ducked out of the way just as one of those tendrils burst from the ground. He turned back, a blade of pure light forming in his paw as he cut down the subterranean tentacle. However it was only the first of many. Numerous tentacles sprouted from the earth, all attempting to get a hold of the little spirit. But Ori was quick, dodging and countering each of the grasping tendrils. Unitl suddenly a looming shadow moved over him, and Ori looked up to see Kwolok hanging directly above him.

Ori got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, instincts telling him to run. He quickly dashed forward, narrowly escaping as Kwolok's body slammed down with enough force to shatter the earth beneath. Ori turned back again, this time forming a shuriken that he let fly at the prone toad. Kwolok grunted in pain, but it would take far more than a single attack to take him down. The monster lifted Kwolok back into the air, turning to face Ori. The guardian toad looked like we was going to be even sicker than he already was, before suddenly spitting up a ball of green sludge.

Ori went wide eyed at the unexpected attack, the glob slamming into him and splattering him in caustic goo. It didn't seem to burn, but the force of the impact had still hurt. He steadied himself just in time to hear another guttural groan from the infested toad. But this time he was ready; as soon as the sludge ball exited Kwolok's mouth, Ori rushed forward. He hopped up just over the glob, and with amazing skill, actually used his hooves to launch off the projectile and propel himself at the toad. A shuriken formed in one paw and his sword in the other. He threw the shuriken with incredible force, and followed up with several slashes to the toad's face. Kwolok roared in pain, bringing one of his stubby hands around to swat the spirit away.

The attack sent Ori crashing painfully to the ground. He struggled back to his hooves, only to find himself surrounded by more tendrils. Reaching inside himself, he drew out his inner light, shining with a radiance strong enough to engulf the tendrils in flames. But the parasite was relentless, simply spawning more tentacles like it was nothing. Ori was forced into a deadly dance; dodging and slashing at grasping tendrils; throwing shurikens and firing arrows, all while avoiding the toxic projectiles shot from Kwolok's mouth. But no matter how many tentacles he cut down, more always seemed to pop up in their place. Where was that monster getting all this energy? Was it siphoning Kwolok's life force to fuel its own? If that was the case, he had to finish this fast, because if it came down to a battle of stamina, he was going to lose.

With desperation starting to set in, Ori decided to attempt a risky gambit. With the next shot that Kwolok fired, Ori sprang into a nimble backflip, forming his Spirit Arc and letting loose a scatter shot of arrows. He descend upon a tendril, which he used to propel himself at the vulnerable toad once more. But this time, a giant two-handed hammer formed in his grip, and he intended to use his momentum to drive it home with devastating force. Unfortunately luck was not on the spirit's side. As Kwolok flailed from the barrage of Spirit Arc fire, a rogue swat from the toad found its mark, and sent Ori crashing into the ground for a second time.

While Ori struggled to recover from the harsh blow, there was a huge thud as Kwolok slammed down right next to him. Ori looked up and saw the corrupted toad gazing down at him, a glint of hunger apparent in his eyes. That look triggered something within Ori, a primal terror of prey that had been cornered by a predator. For that brief moment, Ori's resolve cracked, and the terrified spirit made a mad sprint to escape the toad. Unfortunately turning his back to Kwolok was the worst decision he could have made. In a flash, the hungry toad's tongue shot from his mouth, striking the defenseless spirit square in the back.

Like a helpless fly, Ori was caught by the toad's sticky tongue, and a desperate cry escaped the spirit as he was snapped back into Kwolok's awaiting maw. Ori found himself trapped in a prison of moist clammy flesh. The air was humid and smelled strongly of the swamp. The imprisoned spirit tried to pull himself free from the slimy tongue, but viscous mucus kept him firmly glued to the powerful appendage. Ori continued to struggle though; being in the toad's mouth could only mean one thing and he was desperate to escape before that happened. Unfortunately that moment came sooner than he had hoped. Suddenly the tongue lashed around, Ori squeaking in distress as he was slammed and smeared against the swampy flesh of the inner maw, slathering the helpless spirit in a thick coat of saliva. Beaten and battered, Ori was left panting heavily upon the powerful appendage, too disoriented and exhausted to struggle any further.

But as he laid there, trying to catch his breath, his world began to shift. At first he though it was just his spinning head, but as he felt gravity begin to tug at his aching body, he was struck with the horrific realization of what was happening. His head lulled back, his light allowing him to see the incline of the tongue, forming a one way slide into abyssal depths of the toad's throat. Ori let out a squeak of terror, quickly turning onto his belly and trying desperately to claw his way back up the slimy appendage. But try as he might, his saliva-soaked paws could not find purchase, even on the sticky mucus of the toad's tongue. Inch by horrifying inch Ori slid down the slippery slope, sinking ever closer to the greedy gullet below.

Inevitably his leg slipped into a ring of tight squishy flesh, which immediately clamped down on the hapless limb. Ori let out a yelp of distress as powerful muscles slurped him in up to his stomach. Thrown into a panic, Ori started to struggle, frantically trying to free himself from the vise grip of the throat. He even reached down in an attempt to pry open the unyielding entrance, but to no avail. With tear filled eyes he gazed upwards, hoping to get one last glimpse of the outside world, but all he could see in the light that he cast was glistening flesh of the toad's inner mouth; a chilling prelude to what awaited him at the end of his journey. GULP!

Ori felt a surge of vertigo as a single powerful gulp sent his body plummeting down the toad's slimy throat. The entire trip took less than a second, those specialized muscles hugging the spirit from every angle, forcing him downward with disorienting speed. With a sickening squelch, his body squeezed through another tight ring of flesh, depositing him into the nightmarish chamber where he would spend what little remained of his life; Kwolok's stomach.

Ori splashed down in a pool of foul sloshing fluids. The panicked spirit thrashed about wildly, desperate to rise above the viscous muck. Fortunately it only took a few moments of struggle before Ori managed to rise to his paws and knees, coughing and sputtering the vile tasting liquid back into the knee-high pool below. But as the immediate danger began to wane, the horror of Ori's situation started to settle in once again. Not only did the air reek of the swamp, but it was mixed with a strong acrid accent to form a truly overpowering stench that made the poor spirit's eyes water and lungs burn. Even worse was the vile lake of sludge he found himself wading in; an unholy cocktail of acid, enzymes, chyme, and who knew what else?! He... had been eaten. The thought slowly dawned on him, his mind still not willing to accept reality. Oh dear Elder Tree, he had been eaten!

A fresh wave of panic washed over Ori. He yelped in distress, jumping to his hooves and backing clumsily through the horrifying marsh of digestion. Gripped by terror, the frightened spirit carelessly tripped on something submerged in the muck, sending him tumbling onto his back. Momentarily disoriented, Ori peered forward to find the cause of his sudden fall. In the light he cast, Ori could just barely make out black and white fur, along with a pair of wide bright eyes; A moki! But something was wrong. The moki was in bad shape, with patches of missing fur and exposed muscles all over his digesting body. But most horrifying of all, was when the presumably dead creature lifted a shaking bony paw towards Ori. Ori let out another squeal of terror, and quickly shuffled away until his back was pressed against the moist fleshy wall of the stomach.

There he stood, panting, trembling, and submerged knee deep in stomach acid as he stared at pitiful husk of a creature before him. The poor moki whimpered and groaned in agony "P-P-Please... H-H-Help... Huuurrrttsss..." he pleaded in a raspy voice. Ori was overcome with a mix of sympathy and dread. He felt sorry for the suffering moki, and wished there was something he could do to help. But it was also like a grisly glimpse into his own future. He couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of agony the moki was suffering through, but if he couldn't find a way out of here, pretty soon he wouldn't have to.

With the initial shock finally starting to pass, Ori closed his eyes, trying to calm his frazzled nerves. He pushed the image of the melting moki from his mind, and tried his best to block out the creature's pitiful cries. Panicking wouldn't do him any good. Aside from his burning lungs, the rest of his body had yet to suffer the ill effects of his harsh environment. He still had time to figure a way out of this; he just needed to stay calm.

Ori opened his eyes again, still afraid, but ready to face whatever horrors awaited him. The light that he cast allowed him to observe his surroundings. Not surprisingly he was met with slick rippling walls of flesh, and a bubbling cauldron of nasty colored slop. Of course there was the moki, keeled over and stewing away in that putrid pit; Ori tried not to look that way. But what really caught the spirit's eye, was in the far corner of the stomach, another light shined bright in the darkness. The Strength of the Forest! In his initial panic, he had completely forgotten why he was here in the first place. He had to break out of here, not only for his sake, but for all of Niwen.

Ori held out his paw, a small bit of light sparking into existence before quickly fizzling out. Shoot! Of course he had used up all his mana in the fight with Kwolok. Without it, he couldn't unleash his more powerful attacks. However the drained spirit wasn't completely without power. He still had his Spirit Edge. He could only pray that it would be enough. This time Ori held his paw back, a sword of pure light forming in his grip. With all his might he swung the blade at the stomach wall. The elastic flesh absorbed some of the blow, but could not completely repel the sharpness of the blade.

However the damage did not come without repercussions. The entire stomach lurched from the sudden jolt of pain, knocking Ori off his hooves, and sending him splashing down in a slurry of digestive fluids. The poor spirit struggled to remain afloat in the sea of roiling flesh and sloshing fluids. He was beaten by stomach walls, drenched in digestive juices, and tossed around until he couldn't discern up from down. He was beginning to wonder if it would ever end, but at last the stomach's violent uproar settled down, once again leaving Ori on his paws and knees coughing and sputtering as he tried to recover from the sudden battering. Caustic sludge clung to every inch of his fur, causing the faintest of tingles to the skin underneath. He couldn't think about that now; he had to escape. Weakly he managed to rise to his hooves, only to be met with a horrific realization. The spot he had attacked...! After being tossed around by the agitated stomach, he could no longer find the spot he had struck! If he didn't focus his attacks on one point, his efforts would be futile! He could spend all day hacking away at the fleshy walls and still make no progress! He didn't have that kind of time, the tingling of his skin told him that. And that wasn't even to mention the violent reaction of the stomach to his treatment. He wasn't sure how many more of those he could endure before exhaustion would overtake him. Oh, what was he going to do?! Once again fear and panic began to crack through Ori's resolve. His small window of hope was quickly closing. He had no choice. He couldn't just sit there and do nothing. His only option was to attack, and hope that he could irritate the stomach enough for the toad to spit him out.

Driven by desperation, Ori struck relentlessly at the stomach walls despite the subsequent pummelings they gave him. He swore he could hear Kwolok groan above the churning of the aggravated gut; a promising sign that his attacks were working. He just needed to hold out a little longer. But just when it seemed like there was a chance his plan would actually work, something changed... Suddenly his entire environment lurched. It was odd; the walls did not contract, and yet the force was far more violent than before. And worse yet, it did not stop with a single lunge. As Ori was tossed around by the bounding stomach, he got the distinct impression that they were moving. The hapless spirit didn't know how right he was. As if sensing Kwolok's distress, the parasite had started hopping the toad around the Luma Pools in hopes of pacifying its stubborn prey. Unfortunately for Ori, this tactic proved quite effective, beating the remaining fight from the poor spirit.

It was over. Ori lied there panting heavily, the last of his energy expended. He reached up with a shaky paw, a few sparks of light forming before quickly dying out. He couldn't even form the Spirit Edge anymore. His arm gave out, falling limply back to his side. He was finished. There was nothing left for him to do now except stare up at the dark fleshy ceiling as he waited for his inevitable demise. This putrid pit of death and decay would be his grave. And worst of all, it wouldn't be quick. If the digesting moki was any indication, a world of untold suffering awaited him. He shivered at the thought. Oh dear Spirit Tree, no! He didn't want to die; especially not like this! He didn't deserve this!

Or maybe he did... the dark thought entered his mind as Ori began to slip into despair. He had failed... He had failed the moki; who was now just a corpse fizzling away in that vile pool of digestion. The poor thing must have suffered horribly, and he had been powerless to help. He had failed the wisp; which was still drifting about the stomach, light growing ever dimmer. He had failed all of Niwen... But worst of all, he had failed Ku; the courageous owlet had put her life on the line to protect him, and now he wouldn't be able to save her. Fresh tears steamed down the spirit's cheeks as he lamented everything he had failed to accomplish.

But whether he deserved it or not, this was the fate he was doomed to suffer. His lungs were already burning from the acrid air he was forced to breathe, and the tingling of his skin had started to develop into a mild itch as the digestive enzymes got to work breaking down his cells. Still too weak to move, the poor spirit could do nothing to alleviate the ever increasing irritation spreading across his body. He could only lie there and groan while he was forced to endure the unbearable itch plaguing every inch of his form. As the minutes dragged on, Ori's energy slowly returned to him. He began to fidget and squirm, grinding himself against his fleshy prison. His paws furiously scratched at his skin, paying no heed to the patches of fur they tore loose; anything to find relief.

But despite his efforts, there was no relieving that infernal itch. It only grew stronger and more intense, slowly shifting into a low burn. Ori whimpered and writhed as his scratching became painful, feeling like his entire body had received the world's worst sunburn. He had to resist the urge to scratch, his mind torn between the need to sooth the itch, and the need to avoid pain. Unfortunately for the poor spirit, he was doomed no matter which path he chose. He could not stop the pain from coming, only slow it down. Even if he didn't file away his own skin, the caustic juices he was bathing in would. Gastric acid seeped into his body, weakening his flesh and lowering its resistance, while digestive enzymes worked to break his cells down into their base nutrients. It would only be a matter of time before his body started to deteriorate, and his true nightmare would begin.

Ori tried not to think about it, but the pain was steadily rising. The poor spirit let out a pitiful whimper as the discomfort reached levels he could no longer ignore. It felt like thousands of tiny needles were dancing across his body, stinging his skin relentlessly. It itched, it stung; it burned; Ori was awash in a swirling sea of misery. No matter where he tried to turn his attention, there was nothing but anguish to be found. But as bad as it all felt to him, it was nothing compared to what happened next.

It was a subconscious motion, one he didn't even realized he had done until it was too late. His paw reached to scratch at the irritated skin on his wrist, unwittingly tearing away a small hunk of weakened flesh in the process. Ori yelped at the sudden burst of pain, clutching his wrist instinctively to try to protect the fresh wound from the harsh environment around it. But unfortunately his paw was already soaked in digestive fluids, slathering the wound in stinging slop. He cringed and hissed, struggling to endure this new level of pain. It may have been small, but it was far more intense, easily overshadowing the burn plaguing the rest of his body. It hurt so bad, he could hardly focus on anything else.

Ori had no idea how long he had been there, weeping and cradling his aching paw, but all that time spent stewing in that fetid pit was starting to take its toll. The acids and enzymes were finally starting to break through his skin, forming new sores all across his weakened body. These fresh eruptions of pain made Ori arch his back and squeal in agony. Oh dear Spirit Tree, it burned! Before it had just been a single point of intense pain, but now that same pain bombarded him from every angle. Ori began to thrash and scream wildly, driven by a primal need to escape. But it was a fruitless gesture; nothing more than the desperate struggles of a creature in agony. If anything, his frantic flailing only accelerated his anguish as his skin chafed against the stomach lining, tearing even more patches of fur and flesh from his deteriorating body. Ori's muscles screamed at him as they were exposed to the acrid air and stinging slop of the toad's stomach. Acids and enzymes eagerly assaulted the freshly exposed tissue, soaking the poor spirit to the bone in digestive juices. Ori writhed as unspeakable agony wracked his entire body. He thrashed and flailed and cried, quickly using up what little energy he had left.

Eventually the exhausted spirit could struggle no more. He sprawled out on his back, half submerged in a vile cocktail of bile and chyme. He spent what felt like hours stewing away in that hellish pit, slowly succumbing to the noxious gastric environment. It left him in bad shape; most of his fur having fallen out under the relentless assault of stomach acid; his body covered with horrific bleeding sores, the flesh eaten away by greedy enzymes. His ears were already riddled with holes, and his tail nothing more than bones loosely stitched together by patches of tissue. Occasionally a hunk of flesh would slosh from his body, sending a fresh jolt of raw agony crashing against the spirit's senses. The pain was unbearable, it consumed Ori's entire world. He wanted to scream, but slow ragged whimpers were all he could muster to voice his anguish. How much longer would he be made to endure this? He began to beg for the sweet embrace or death. He no longer thought of his mission; no longer thought of his family; he just wanted this nightmare to end!

Darkness crept in around the edges of Ori's vision. It was like he was looking down a dark tunnel, and at the end of that tunnel, was a bright inviting light. Ori felt drawn to it, and the light seemed to draw closer... But as it approached, and its form came into focus, Ori realized it wasn't what he had thought. A ball of dim flickering light wafted down towards Ori. The Strength of the Forest... In his anguish, he had completely forgotten about the wisp. It looked weak and frail, no doubt a result of prolonged exposure to the harsh stomach environment. Despite his own anguish, Ori felt a small pang of pity for the poor fading ball of light. After all, it was his failure that had allowed it to suffer such a fate. Whether out of compassion or desperation for companionship, he reached out a trembling paw towards the wisp. He brought it down into a tight embrace and curled into a fetal position as he waited for death to claim them both.

But then it happened... A miracle! There was a bright flash of light from the wisp, and Ori suddenly felt his body slowly lift into the air. Particles of light swirled around him, and the excruciating pain he was feeling quickly began to fade. Light filled the gaps of his broken body, healing his wounds and restoring his strength. There was a second flash of light, and Ori landed good as new. At least physically; mentally his mind was still reeling, his shattered psyche struggling to piece itself back together after the trauma it had endured. It took him several minutes to even realize that he was still alive, let alone fully grasp what had actually happened. The Strength of the Forest was nowhere to be seen. It must have sacrificed the last of its strength to heal him. But it was more than that, Ori could feel the flow of mana running through him. His energy had been completely restored, and with it, his hope of breaking out of this hellhole. He didn't even think about what the wisp's sacrifice would mean for Niwen. It had given him a chance to escape, and he wasn't going to let it go to waste.

Ori turned his attention to the far stomach wall, the one thing standing between him and escape. He couldn't help but notice that something was different though. The once healthy flesh had turned a sickly dark blue. He must have been so lost in agony that he hadn't even noticed the transformation. He didn't even want to think about what that meant for the rest of Kwolok's body. But again, Ori did not have time to dwell on it; this was his one chance at escape, and he had to act now.

Ori held his paw back behind him, a ball of light flickering to life in his grasp. The malleable lump of light quickly took shape, forming into a brilliant spear. Ori hurled the spear forward, which embedded in the stomach wall for a short moment before exploding in a dazzling burst of light. Just as before, the stomach reacted violently to the unexpected attack. But this time Ori was ready and more energized, easily riding out the roiling waves of flesh. When the stomach finally settled, he managed to spot the sizable bleeding wound the attack had inflicted; much more effective than his Spirit Edge had been. He repeated the attack, aiming for the same point on the stomach wall. The reaction was the same, only this time Ori swore he could hear Kwolok howl out in pain. It put a pang of guilt in his heart, but he knew it had to be done. One more spear should be enough to do it, and then he could put an end to Kwolok's suffering.

His paw reached back, preparing to deliver the final blow... But suddenly something shot up from Kwolok's stomach; a blue tendril swiftly wrapped around Ori's arm before the tip embedded itself just below the skin of his shoulder. Ori yelped in distress as a new stabbing pain shot through his shoulder. He desperately tried to tug his arm free, but another tendril shot up and ensnared his other arm. What the hell was going on?! As Ori's reeling mind tried to make sense of this sudden development, he felt a sharp and painful pull at the mana in his body, as if the energy was being leeched right out of him. The parasite! Had Kwolok really been infected that deeply?! Just what had that vile thing done to the poor guardian toad?! And worse, what was it going to do to him?!

Ori conjured up his Spirit Edge and quickly lopped the tendrils from his arms. But no sooner had he freed himself, when another set of tentacles shot towards him. Ori tried to cut down every tendril that approached him, but under their relentless assault, he simply couldn't stop them all. Every few strikes, one would slip through his defenses, delivering a sharp jab of pain and draining a portion of the spirit's energy before he could sever the wicked thing. Ori fought desperately for his life, but it was a losing battle. The constant leeching of his energy, combine with the harsh stomach environment was quickly taking its toll on his body, and it wasn't long before the poor spirit was once again completely exhausted. The final blow came when his Spirit Edge flickered out of existence; Ori stared in wide eyed horror at his empty paw, knowing that he had just lost his last line of defense.

The tendrils were upon him in moments, ensnaring his arms and legs, and resuming their feast upon his energy. Ori fell to his knees, his arms held aloft by the feeding tendrils. He threw his head back and let out a wail of utter despair. Terror, hopelessness, pain, anger; so many emotions were expressed in that one cry that surely any who heard it would know Ori's suffering and weep for the poor spirit. But alas, his voice was trapped within the hellish prison of flesh and bile; sealed off from the outside world. No one would be coming to his rescue; he was alone. Ori hung his head forward, completely defeated, tears dripping from his cheeks down into the bubbling broth below. Why was this happening to him?! Had his fate not already been cruel enough without the universe dangling hope in front of him like some kind of perfidious berry?! Well he had eaten the berry, and it had turned out to be poison. Now he was going to... No, no, no, nononono... he couldn't endure that hell again. He began to spiral into panic as memories of his agony flashed to the forefront of his mind.

He could already feel that familiar itch plaguing his skin as the stomach acids once again seeped into his flesh. And with his arms and legs now bound, there was nothing he could do to try to relieve it. He sobbed miserably, stricken with utter terror at the anguish he knew was inevitably coming. He begged and pleaded for mercy, apologizing for any sins he may have unknowingly committed. He would have given anything, even his very soul, to escape this hell. He just didn't want to suffer anymore. But sadly, his prayers went unanswered. It seemed he was destined to suffer, as if the gods were getting some kind of sick and twisted pleasure from his pain.

But fate was even more cruel than Ori knew, for this time his anguish would be so much worse. With most of his body suspended above the caustic pool of chyme, it would take far longer for the noxious environment to break his body down. On top of that, were those monstrous tendrils, leisurely leeching his life away. As if the parasite already knew it had won, it had begun to savor its prey, sapping the spirit's energy at an agonizingly slow pace.

Ori spent several long hours wasting away in that hell. He didn't even bother to struggle, too exhausted and in far too much pain to fight anymore. The countless hours of constant torture had broken the poor spirit. He just sat there, sniveling pitifully as his life force was drained and his body destroyed. Ori's appearance had become even more ghastly than last time. Like before, grievous wounds had opened up all over his deteriorating body. But now with the added effect of having his vitality drained, his form had grown gaunt and haggard. He looked as though he hadn't eaten in days, and his light was all but snuffed out. He truly looked like a pitiful soul that had been dragged through hell and beyond.

How the little spirit still clung to life was anybody's guess, but it was clear that he would not last much longer. Unfortunately for Ori, those last few moments would still feel like an eternity of anguish, his perception of time warped into one giant continuum of pain and suffering. He hardly even noticed when the darkness started to creep in, slowly replacing his agony with merciful numbness. There was no light this time, no last minute savior to rescue him from this nightmare. He was going to die, miserable and alone, with only the cold embrace of death to comfort him in his final moments. Finally his light flickered and faded, his body falling limp in the tendril's grasp, as the last of his life was leeched away. Ori was no more, the horrors he had endured snuffing out not only the light of his body, but the light of his very soul.

A heavy rain fell over Niwen, as if the forest was weeping for the spirit's tragic fate. Kwolok waded in his swamp, a single tear running down the infested toad's face. He had sensed the poor spirit's passing, and knew with it went their last hope to save Niwen. He felt a great pang of guilt for the part he had played in Ori's demise, even if he had not been in control of it. He had been too weak to fight it, and now it was too late to stop it. How many more would die to sate that wicked parasite's hunger? How many more would suffer the same terrible fate? Kwolok was shaken from these thoughts as movement stirred in the corner of his eye; a lone moki was scurrying for a nearby burrow, seeking shelter from the torrential storm. The guardian toad felt the pull on his mind again, the parasite overpowering every one of his thoughts until he could think of only one thing. With a lick of his lips, he eyed the unsuspecting moki... Dinner...