Fair warning: This story contains some pretty dark themes. If you're okay with that, I hope you enjoy.
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For untold centuries, the Arcane Order of Sais (sye-EES) has been the keeper of a relic of ages long past -- the Amulet of Meerach (MEER-ack). In times of great danger to the realms of man, the amulet was granted to a strong and noble warrior. This man may have been
a gallant knight or a savage barbarian. Either way, if proven worthy, the warrior would be granted the amulet for use in a time of mankind's greatest need.
Only three times the amulet was ever used, and the results were always the same. Upon wearing the amulet, the wizards would cast a ritual on it and its bearer, opening the amulet and the contents within -- a black oozing substance. The chosen warrior would then have found himself encased in the ooze and turned into the ultimate fighter, unstoppable on the battlefield. With unnatural strength, speed, and prowess, he would cut a bloody swathe across the enemy lines.
Every bearer has been mentioned in history and legend. The first time, the amulet was given to the Crown Prince Devon of Marmoth during the First Great Orcish War. The second time was given to the nomadic warrior Great Stag during the Black Crusades. The third was Sir Gavin Greybeard during the Second Great Orcish War. Everyone's feats would be remembered for all time.
But the their stories never had a happy ending. The power that the amulet gave came with a terrible price, one that took its toll on all three of its bearers . The user would be in excruciating pain. Even if he was tough enough to withstand it, the pain would eventually take his life within days. Even with this in mind, many men would come for the honor of using the amulet for their king, country, family, ambition, and other reasons.
But there was one thing even the Order did not know. The amulet was never meant for men to hold. In their ignorance, the wizards forbade women from reaching receiving the amulet, for fear they would not stand the pain long enough for them to be useful in battle. Women were not as tough as men.
Then along came a young thief named Ana. As she sneaked through the halls of the Order's ancient keep, her thoughts were of her hometown, Forestwood. It was under the threat of a small army of bandits - one that the local military was unable to defend against and one that mages would not deem serious enough for the amulet's use. Even if the King's army were to respond, it would be too late to save the town. Ana decided to take matters into her own hands.
Fortunately for the raven-haired beauty, while the the vault the amulet was held in meant traversing much of the keep's maze-like interior, the vault was not well guarded. Over the centuries no one even bothered to try and steal the amulet. This led the mages to become complacent in their security.
Finally, Ana reached the vault. No one in the Order saw her, much less try and stop her. This was far too easy. The vault itself was no more than brightly lit room with large statues of the three heroes who wore the amulet and a small black box on a pedestal in the center. She could not help but wonder why this was so easy. It had to be a trap.
Trap or not, Ana to find out. Looking around and finding no signs of anyone nearby, she moved forward, her level of excitement rising. No one had laid eyes on the amulet in over three hundred years. Not only that, but what she was about to do meant her own doom. Soon, it would be all over. If it meant saving her home, then it would be worth it. She reached for the box, and slowly opened the box.
It was there! The Amulet of Meerach! Was it? It looked like it. Ana lifted it in the air and stood there in awe. Gold chain connected to a gem black as night in a gold setting. There was something else. She had the sudden desire to put it in now. Something seemed to whisper in her mind promising power undreamed of. She would be the first to unlock its true power. Put it on. So she did.
The first thing she felt when it was around her neck was a strange warmth in her body. Her cheeks turned bright red as she felt a dampness between her legs. Her legs started to wobble, threatening to bring her down, as the sensation grew. Was it a trap? Had the Order switched amulets to deceive those who would steal it?
The answer came when the gem shattered releasing a black ooze that kept flowing out. The ooze showed signs of life as it quickly moved within her clothes, covering her from head to toe. Fear overpowered arousal as Ana panicked, trying to wipe the stuff off of her, but it was useless. She was covered in seconds.
FINALLY, I AM FREE!
