The cave she had been directed to stood before her, wide open like a ravenous maw. She pinched the bridge of her nose, cursing under her breath. Something she had been doing for the last couple of days for pretty much every single reason she could think of.

Where to start? Oh, right, back when she had appeared in this place for no reason. A blink and you miss it thing. Problem was, that the “thing” was her going from a dark alley in a city of concrete and glass to a medieval town. And the “blink” had been an actual blink.

Poof, welcome to generic fantasy land. You have no money, no roof over your head and will get hungry eventually. Enjoy your stay.

The moment she took a single step out of the alley she had teleported into, she turned all heads around. And people had no qualms staring. Sure, she could look out of place, but being singled out like that? Just for wearing all black? And a few chains here and there? And a skull on her belt? Couldn’t these people tell they were all fake?And biggest surprise of them all yet, she actually understood jack of whatever language these people spoke. So even if she played dumb, she heard the murmurs and whispers behind her back. Whatever.

It was a long first day, wandering around trying not to look completely lost and to find something, anything, before having to resort to either pickpocketing or stealing. But there was no other way, at least that she could think of. Food and goods looked similar, not that she was thrilled to experiment,  so maybe she could make due with the bare minimum… Also, the stares in some cases had become full-blown glares. Ugh, these people…

She couldn’t have done anything wrong, given that she had not done anything. Yet.

But whatever had teleported her had it in for her, she guessed. In comes this woman, dressed in the reddest and most overly decorated dress she had ever seen, accompanied by a small crowd and an armed escort. Local nobility or something? She fixed her eyes on her, icy blue irises projecting disdain and disgust like no tomorrow. And once she spoke, she made it very clear that the town didn’t like her kind. All of it accompanied by all of the theatrics.

Gestures, poses, dramatic tone changes… you name it. Talk about a day feeling never-ending. She didn’t get much chance to answer, apparently being confused for a necromancer. A necromancer, of all things. Jeez, talk about judging a book by the cover… even if her looks did not make for the best case. But a necromancer? If that was the case, she might have been laying waste to the town instead of enduring nonsense.

Not the case though, although she could still bluff about it. Screw it, in fact, she went along with it. Enter the theatrics, and kick it up to eleven. Fear the darkest and foulest of necromancers! She, who will command legions of undead to eat your children in the morning and enslave your souls! All shall serve her unholy highness! However, she was not unreasonable! If they were to let her go, she would spare their pitiful lives!

The whole charade burned her very soul, but hey, it worked. Boy, did it work. Too well even. Some cowered in fear, some unsheathed weapons, and a woman fainted in dramatic fashion. The princess, noblewoman, whatever, held back the mob with a wave of her hand. She agreed. On two conditions. She was to use her powers to get rid of some slimes that infested a nearby cave and threatened to become a large problem. And she would remain under guard for the night, leaving next morning. She was free to keep any and all things she found, adventurers having failed to deal with them.

Well, that was a bunk and food secured for one night… even if it meant spending it on the dungeon of this woman’s keep. Not that she would complain. It was one place that people would not bother her… much.

A night in the dungeon, and no assassination attempt? She had to admit, she was surprised they had kept their word. Then again, she had not slept at all. Wicked beings like her did not rest, and the makeup was a convenient way to hide the bags under her eyes.

It had been the coldest send-off ever, but she set off in the general direction she had been pointed to. An easy find, given the rocky hill was the only one of its kind and stuck out like a sore thumb in the otherwise flat grassland. The closer she was, the more unbearable it became. The humidity stuck to her pale skin, making the heat a torment to endure. Slimes. Should be easy, right? The mooks and grunts of every fantasy adventure ever. No matter if it was a video game, a novel or an rpg… Piece of cake, right?

But then, why oh why, had those adventurers fallen? If they were so easy to take care of, why bother sending a super beefed up necromancer to deal with them? A dark magic user that had no magic or combat skills. Unlike those adventurers. Who were very much dead. Mooks and grunts, huh?

The cave she had been directed to stood before her, wide open like a ravenous maw. She could just run off. Yeah, it sounded like a good plan, but where? The lovely town she had been kicked from? Should she just push her luck? And once she reached the next town, what was she to do? She had nothing of value on her… and speaking of, they had been pretty clear about looting.

“It can’t be that bad, right? Sneak in, grab what I can and run away.” She thought. Just enough to make a quick buck by selling it.

- Screw it, nothing risked, nothing gained. Right?

She said that allowed, not entirely sure of what it was intended to accomplish. Maybe boost her courage a bit, or keep her legs from shaking and shivering. But regardless, she took one step forward. And another, and another. With each new one she took, she strayed further and further from the chance of running away, venturing deep into the cave.

Contrary to what she thought, the stone was smooth and lean. No jagged walls nor sharp stalactites. The result of use and those things crawling back and forth. And the light grew dimmer and dimmer, never quite fully fading though. It always found a way in, somehow. Which was a pain in the ass. She could not grow used to the dark, and it was never bright enough.

However, there were enough clues to know she was close. The tunnel went deeper and deeper, bifurcating and giving way to smaller underground caves. The humidity in the air only grew stronger the further she went, and sometimes the walls had trails of wet slime in it. She gagged and grimaced at the touch, but it was… not as disgusting as she thought? Somehow? Smooth and wet, and a bit elastic. It was less like mucus, and more like… rubber? Liquid rubber? Did that make any sort of sense?

Whatever. She focused on the main point at hand. That she had no idea how deep she was, and she had seen nothing of value yet. Nothing at all. No torn clothes, no weapons thrown away… nothing at all. And that was even more unnerving. Scenarios and questions ran through her head. Had anyone actually ventured in there? Or had they just said they had and instead bolted at the first chance? And if they had gone in… the thought of those things eating even cloth and metal sent a chill down her spine.

The trail grew thicker, wetter. She could barely see, and the chilling thought of not knowing her way out hung over her head. Her hand remained stuck to the wall, making sure she always had something as reference. They hadn’t even bothered to say how many there were, right? It could be two, or three, or a dozen and a half. Or was it that she did not remember?

A small glow pierced the dark, immediately catching her eye.

- There…

Her voice echoed through the tunnels, spreading far and wide. She covered her mouth, not meaning to say that aloud. And the consequence -and regret- was instantaneous. There were slithering sounds all over. From the tunnels she had left behind and those that stretched forth. From around her, as well as above and below. Way too many, and way too close.

She gritted her teeth, running towards the glow. Her footsteps echoed just as loudly, and the noises grew closer. Grabbing it with her shaky hands was far more difficult than first expected, but she managed. It was a pale stone, engraved in a metal casing and with a chain. She would have approved of the look, if she wasn’t worried. She quickly put the necklace on, and picked the weapon next to it. A mace of sorts.

- Ok, you disgusting things. - She turned around, holding the weapon with two hands like it was a bat. Even if she saw little, she could still swing it around- Let’s da-

What felt like the cave collapsing hit her from above, trapping her head in a blurry haze of… well, slime. She tried to take it off, out of reflex, but the slime was not letting her go. The mace clanked, falling to the stone floor, chiming like a bell for more of them to swarm her.  They crawled up the legs and got a hold of her flailing arms, twisting and contorting their forms as they all wanted a piece. A wet texture swallowed her whole, advancing over her in every direction and making her feel ticklish.

Not that it mattered, as her vision grew blurry and her body weak, but she was unable to tell whether it was one thing or several.“You… got… to be… kidding…”

A sudden bolt of something shook her -all of them- to the core. Something was happening to her. They were doing something… were they? The slime mass, and the woman within, slumped to the floor. She felt weak, numb, the exhaustion finally catching up and joining forces with the stress. It had to be that, because the texture around her didn’t feel too bad. In fact, if not for the whole situation, it could even be comfortable.

It was like she was in a pool filled with smooth and elastic liquid. Like she had to cross an obstacle of jelly. The wetness and coolness was soothing and relaxing, the occasional twitch feeling more like a spa massage. A very odd beauty treatment, but regardless, she found herself calming down and not caring. There even was a warm feeling on her chest, slowly spreading across her. And the more it did so, the lighter she felt.

The mass was on the move again, stretching and contorting, slowly making her aware. Her vision, although blurry, grew more and more defined. She could feel herself. Her body, her limbs, slowly coming back. Her body felt light and sore, but even with that there was a spark, one last attempt at breaking free. She tried wiggling her limbs, and they responded, the slime continuing with whatever it was doing.

Extend. Contract. Extend. Contract. It was almost like a rhythm. She followed, opening and closing her limbs at the beat, time and again. It was gradual and slow, but the slime let her go. The mass disentangled itself, scattering into a massive horde of individuals of all sizes. And as they did, she was able to fully see them. The dark was now a palette of greys, the forms and the surroundings of the slimes easily noticeable. Most were the size of a dog or so, a couple massive ones being able to rival a cart… one of those jerks had gotten the jump on her hadn’t it?

There were some small ones too, no bigger than a puddle, slithering around and looking at her with almost curiosity. No clue how she knew that, she just… knew. They were kind of cute.

More and more peeled off her, slithering away down the tunnel system. They crawled into holes and up the walls, scattering in all directions. Until she found herself completely alone, laying on the floor. “What the hell…”

- Guuuugh…

No words came out, instead letting out a moan in what sounded like her voice. It was different though, so she immediately perked up. Standing up, she froze for a moment, looking at her hands. They looked smooth, too smooth, and she could make the floor across her palms and fingers.

She stood up immediately, looking down at her body. Her gaze was obscured by two balloons on her bust, but after a moment, she could see a bit through them. The stone of the pendant glowed fainty beneath them. She looked at her arms, long and lean, and way more feminine than before. Her legs were a match for them, ending in feet that morphed into a formless mass if needed. Moving up her legs, she was met with two wide hips and a plump rear. Her body felt oddly soft and malleable, and her touch a bit ticklish, but still retained her form.

“Retain… my form…” The word echoed in her mind, as she found a revealing hourglass shape in her curves. And crowning it all, were her two massive boobs. She tentatively touched them, gargling at the sudden burst of pleasure through her. She let out a surprisingly clear giggle. Her body reacted to everything and anything around her. The faint currents of air sent chills through her, and the texture of the stone in her feet was as solid as it got; and the humidity that clung to her body… she couldn’t find the words, nothing had ever felt like it before. In fact, words were a bit difficult to come by.

She slumped back to the floor. She was alone. She was completely different, from all she had seen so far. And she was tired. So. Very. Tired.  And she had questions. What was she? What was that pendant? Who did it belong to? Were there more like her? Looking in both directions of the tunnel, she went down deeper. She wanted to find a comfortable spot, somewhere dark and damp, to curl up for a good night’s sleep. Problems would wait for tomorrow, and at least here she wouldn’t be bothered by anyone.