The master spy or Puss in the boot adventures

Тhe return of the Demon Lord 1, Part 189

The treacherous witches Gnash and Maleficent have betrayed our heroes, swearing allegiance to Solaris. As our heroes barely escape the clutches of the thief king's magical barrier, they are ambushed by these powerful sorceresses. In a fierce and desperate battle, our heroes emerge victorious, but not without consequence. During the skirmish, Gnash and Maleficent unleash chaos by opening sinister portals to the World of Beasts, the World of Demons, and the World of Shadows. With relentless determination, our heroes manage to seal these gateways, but in closing the portal to the Demon World, they inadvertently release a wave of malevolent magic that sweeps across the land like a dark plague. The world is twisted into a shadow of its former self, and the curse exacts a heavy toll—not only on the earth but upon the very souls of our heroes. They are transformed into grotesque monstrosities, a bitter price for their victory. Ragnar morphs into a towering, four-armed colossus, Mer-mer becomes a fearsome Arch-Demon, Shadow-cat mutates into a scale-covered aquatic creature, and Princess Aurelia is reborn as a majestic yet fearsome dragon. Desperation claws at them as they confront their new horrifying realities. They must break the curse of the Demon World, for they are no longer just warriors—they are cursed abominations, lost in a world that is no longer theirs.

Ragnar had transformed into a colossal, four-armed behemoth, his physique robust and imposing, capped with an absurdly small head.

"You're quite the comedian," Mer-Mer jeered, eyeing the disproportionate figure. "With that tiny head of yours..."

Shadow-cat burst into laughter. "Why does he even need a big head with four arms like that?"

Ragnar glowered, his voice a low growl. "And look who's talking. Mer-Mer, you resemble a demon straight from the infernal depths, and you, Shadow-cat, are more fish than feline."

"Enough!" commanded the dragon princess, her voice an authoritative rumble. "Or I'll make you my breakfast."

Her form shimmered, expanding into a magnificent dragon, scales glistening with an intimidating sheen.

"Now what are we going to do?" Mer-Mer pondered aloud, her voice tinged with urgency. "We can't just appear everywhere like this..."

"You certainly can't," Ragnar retorted. "Anyone who sees you will have their guts twisted with terror."

"And you think you're any less terrifying with those four monstrous limbs?" Mer-Mer shot back, but his words were suddenly cut short as he crumpled to the ground.

"What's happening, Mer-Mer?" Aurelia cried out, her voice laced with panic.

"It's like someone's inside my head... I hear a cacophony of voices."

"These are not your friends," the sinister voices hissed in Mer-Mer's mind. "They are malevolent sorcerers intent on stealing your magic. Destroy them before it's too late..."

"Please... leave me..." Mer-Mer moaned, her voice strained and desperate. "Before I completely lose my sanity. The voices urge me to... kill you... I don't know how much longer I can resist before I succumb..."

"We need to help you remember," Aurelia insisted, her determination unwavering. "We must shatter the spell."

"The enchantment is too powerful to break," the dragon princess declared, her tone grave. "Even with my magical prowess, I couldn't withstand it."

"There's a cave nearby," Shadow-cat interjected, urgency in her voice. "Hide there. We'll head to the city to find a healer. Wait for us."

"That's a wise plan," Aurelia agreed. "Hide in the cave, and we'll devise a way to assist you..."

Overwhelmed by searing pain, Mer-Mer bolted into the cave, his  screams echoing in the darkness. "When you return, ask me for your names," he called out, his voice trembling with fear. "If I don't remember them, flee... It means I've lost my mind..."

...

Outside the cave, the transformed heroes made their way towards the distant city, their monstrous forms casting long, grotesque shadows across the barren landscape. The sun beat down mercilessly from a cloudless sky, its harsh light glinting off their scales and armor like the glare of a thousand accusing eyes.

Aurelia soared ahead, her massive wings stirring up great clouds of dust with each powerful beat. The dragon princess scanned the horizon with keen, slitted eyes, searching for any sign of civilization or succor. But the land stretched out before them in an endless expanse of desolation, broken only by the occasional twisted tree or jutting spire of rock.

Ragnar lumbered along behind her, his four massive arms swinging ponderously at his sides. Each step sent tremors through the earth, leaving deep, unsettling footprints in his wake. The giant's tiny head bobbed atop his bulging shoulders like a child's toy perched on a mountain of muscle, his features contorted into a perpetual scowl of displeasure.

Shadow-cat slunk along at the rear, her sinuous, scale-covered body undulating with an unsettling grace. She moved like a serpent over sand, leaving a winding trail in the dust as her webbed paws made no sound against the parched earth. Her bulbous eyes darted to and fro, gleaming with a predatory intelligence that belied her aquatic appearance.

As they journeyed on beneath the pitiless sun, each lost in their own dark thoughts, the curse of the Demon World sank its claws ever deeper into their transformed flesh. Aurelia could feel the savage hunger of her draconic form gnawing at the edges of her mind, urging her to descend upon the hapless creatures scurrying below and feast upon their screaming flesh. Ragnar's four arms twitched and spasmed with barely suppressed violence, aching to rend and crush and destroy. Shadow-cat's gills fluttered with a desperate thirst for water, even as her fangs dripped with venomous saliva that sizzled when it struck the barren ground...

As they journeyed on, the companions could feel the weight of Mer-Mer's suffering like a physical burden upon their shoulders. They knew that with each passing moment, the insidious whispers in their friend's mind grew louder, the curse's corruption burrowing ever deeper into his psyche. Time was their enemy now, and they could only pray they would find aid before it was too late...