Final Fantasy: Garuda's Wrath

The battlefield was a grim sight to behold. A scattered mixture of blood, viscera and feathers littered the once pristine meadow, it's green grass now stained sanguine. The storm that raged around the carnage served as an effective barrier for the deadly arena. Atop the defiled ground stood two warriors and their savage opponent, still locked in vicious combat.

A visibly startled summoner shuddered as she scanned the grim sight that lay before her. Her emerald eyes welled up with tears and her ears were low on her head in fear. To look upon the dead gaze of a decapitated warrior, or the dismembered arm of a black mage still holding firm to a staff was a thing out of a nightmare. Yet this nightmare was far from an imaginary dream born of sleep; The remains on the ground were those of the summoner's party, slain and strewn about by the relentless foe she still faced.

Broken and despirited, the summoner fell to her knees. "I let them die, Elia. They were counting on me, and... and... I failed them!"

Ceasing attack only long enough to face her only remaining ally, Elia's heart sank at seeing her teammate's despair. A feather racing inches in front of her amethyst colored eyes brought the bard's attention back to the enemy. "Kheda, get up! We can finish this vulture off ourselves! Just focus on healing me and..."

"A vulture, am I?" interrupted their foe. "Mind your tongue and know your place, Hyur! You fight in vain before the one true god, Garuda! I alone control the winds and see that they blow in my favor!"

Garuda, the eidolon of wind, was a fearsome beast sporting features both feminine and avian. She easily towered over her opponents and, in combination with her impressive wingspan, was an intimidating foe. "You fools are not fit to serve me! You shall only know suffering before I end your pointless existence!"

With a flap of her impressive wings, Garuda sent forth a barrage of feathers towards the heroes. Though the projectiles sailed over Kheda's head, Elia's dexterity was tested as she ducked and dodged, managing to avoid every feather.

"Ha!" boasted Elia. "I suppose if your aim was as sharp as your tongue, I might have been worried about that last attack. Instead of running your mouth, I suggest you..."

Again, the bard was interrupted by yet another razor plume. By the time she noticed, it was nearly too late to dodge. The feather grazed her cheek, leaving a deep gash just below her eye. Recovering from her stagger, Elia brought a hand to her face, then pulled it away to see her fingers red with blood. 

"You BITCH!" screamed Elia as she released a volley of arrows towards Garuda. For nearly every arrow that was loosed, the harpy threw out feathery projectiles to match. The plumes were released with such velocity that they became akin to shuriken, stopping dead each arrow they came in contact with. The bard's shots were quicker, however, and a few arrows found their mark, tearing through their target's wings or lodging their pointed tips in the harpy's soft flesh.

Brought about by a mixture of pain and anger, Garuda cried out with a screech that easily pierced the cacophony of the storm around them. Both Kheda and Elia fell to the ground with their hands covering their ears. The shrill scream brought about an unbearable pressure in their heads, the pain nearly rendering them paralyzed.

With one eye open, Kheda noticed Elia trying to tell her something. Even with her sharp, cat-like ears, she couldn't hear a word that her comrade was trying to communicate. She could, however, recognize enough of what Elia was mouthing to her. A silence spell! Perfect! She flipped the pages of her tome furiously, scanning for a spell to stop the screaming. Finding exactly what she was looking for, Kheda quickly read incantation and focused her mana. Enough with this incessant cacophony!

Garuda's eyes fell upon the summoner's outstretched arm. Before either hero could even blink, a nigh invisible field surrounded their enemy.

Kheda's spell was cast.

Garuda's scream fell silent...

Elia released her hands from over her ears as the pressure in her head abated. The only sounds she heard were of the mighty winds that still raged on. She quickly rose to her feet, invigorated with a new-found morale. "Atta' girl, Kheda! You shut that bitch up good!"

Garuda threw her head back, a wicked cackling echoing across the battlefield.

Elia froze, her morale shattered. It should have been impossible for the beast in front of her to make a sound. As she looked to her companion for an answer, both fear and a terrible realization came over her. Kheda's mouth was sealed tight, as if it had been glued shut. 

Recovering from the sick hilarity of the situation, Garuda regained her composure before speaking. "You fools have ended your own lives! I cast a simple reflect spell and you become helpless. Observe your own weakness as I unleash upon you my full power!"

A mighty twister formed within the center of the arena, growing in size and strength by the second. Elia and Kheda planted their feet firmly in place in an attempt to resist the cyclone's pull, but it would be impossible after too long. Knowing this, Elia readied one last arrow, pulling it back with all her strength. "Hydaelin, guide this arrow true! May it slay our foe!"

For the heroes, it was as if time itself slowed to a crawl. Kheda watched her companion's arrow fly from her bow, glowing with an intense radiance. It traveled straight towards the wretched eidolon, carrying with it the last bit of hope for victory. Their struggle would soon be over; justice would be brought for the heroes that had fallen...

...until the light itself began to fade, the arrow turning course, headed for the vortex. It splintered as it entered, the twister flinging its pieces in every direction along with the hope it once carried. It was over... Kheda and Elia both knew it.

Twin funnels of air split from the center of the twister, their appearance resembling that of a malboro's tentacles. With blistering speed, they raced towards the summoner and bard. Elia and Kheda could not react quick enough before they were knocked backwards, slamming hard against a stone pillar. Elia's arrows spilled from her quiver as the two girls fell to the ground, battered and hardly able to move. 

Garuda emerged from the center of the vortex, looking down upon the crumpled bodies that had once stood against her. She spoke to the girls in a mocking tone. "It's rather unfortunate that I have to kill you. The two of you would have made excellent servants, if only you showed the proper respect. I'm sure you realize how foolish it was to challenge a god, although this realization can not possibly save you now. Your end is nigh! Do not expect a merciful death, for you must pay for your impudence!"

Garuda raised an arm high into the air. She brought it down fast, with a deliberate snap, her hand cupped. From her palm materialized a thin column of air that quickly lengthened as it snaked it's way towards Elia.

Too weak to resist, Elia could only watch and imagine the horrors of how this twisted magic would bring about her end. Bracing herself for a mighty impact, she was taken aback as she felt the air stream pierce her lips and force open her mouth. 

The unrelenting gale began to fill any available space it found in the Hyur's body. Elia winced as she felt a pressure begin to mount within her, centralizing in her stomach. Instinctively, she wanted to squeeze her midsection in a desperate measure to abate the pain she felt but her body refused to respond, still too weak from the previous impact. She steeled herself, knowing she would probably have to withstand a great deal of torture before her foe would end her.

Wholly expecting the pressure to grow to unbearable levels, Elia endured as best she could as it steadily mounted, the sensation soon being accompanied by a noticeable fullness. Moving her gaze downward, she was shocked to see her top being pushed apart by a ballooning gut. Her stomach was visibly billowing outwards into her lap, forced to accommodate the ever increasing volume that filled it. The initial shock of the situation fading, Elia fearfully realized that her foe was intentionally pumping her full of wind magic. What kind of demented torture did this beast have in mind? Was she to become this harpy's balloon?

Nearby, Kheda was far too battered and beaten to even attempt to stand up. Her eyes were locked on her comrade's billowing stomach, the pale dome rising higher every second. Tears streamed from her eyes as she comprehended just how helpless the situation had become, and how little she could do to help alleviate the obvious pain her comrade-in-arms was feeling. Mustering what strength she could, she slowly raised her arm and brought it to rest upon the turgid belly of what she thought would be the last friend she'd ever know. She knew it was a meek attempt to bring comfort to their predicament, but it was the best she could do. She looked sympathetically at Elia, noticing that the girl's normally vibrant, amethyst eyes had lost their luster. The vacant expression made it clear she had given up and let go of whatever hope she held on to.

Garuda observed the summoner's vain act of comfort, smirking. "Don't waste your sympathy on the Hyur," she chided. "This is the fate of those who defy me! You will suffer, just as she has!" With the tempest in her hand still directed upon Elia, the eidolon now raised her free hand, a small bubble materializing on the tip of her finger. It was no bigger than a marble, but it was more than enough for what she had in mind. She brought it close to her face before gently blowing it off her finger.

Kheda watched that tiny bubble gently bob and float towards her, somehow ignoring the strong gusts that blew all around. She couldn't imagine what torture something that small could bring, but she was fearful nonetheless. She closed her eyes, bracing herself as the bubble came ever closer. Suprisingly, she hadn't expected to feel the tiny sphere slide up her thigh as it made its way into her skirt. Curiosity turned to astonishment she felt it slip past her underwear and press itself into her rear. With a quick push, it disappeared inside of her.

The summoner knew that whatever had just happened, wasn't going to end well for her. Garuda had made her intentions clear; they would not leave this battlefield alive. It was the unconventional use of wind magic that made it impossible to understand the beast's methods. A tiny bubble of air slipping into her ass was hardly torturous, but there had to be more to it.

A rising pressure in her stomach confirmed her suspicions. Just as she had seen with Elia, her stomach began to bloat as well. As she watched it steadily rise, she mentally noted that the pressure felt oddly centralized. It wasn't dynamic, like how a liquid would fill a waterskin; it felt solid. She suddenly understood what that tiny little bubble could do. That bubble had firmed and was swelling inside of her, and she was growing with it. A feeling of dread quickly crept onto as she realized it was likely the bubble would exceed her capacity.

Satisfied with the sense of dread she had instilled in the miqo'te, Garuda brought her gaze back to the bard. The girl was bloating quite quickly, though not quite at a pace that was to her liking. Increasing her focus, the twister in her hand grew in ferocity and intensity, forcing more of itself into the body it filled with extraordinary rapidity.

The sudden increase brought about a massive surge of growth to Elia's body. Rips and tears could be heard as her expanding thighs taxed her tights to their limit. Her breasts blew up so rapidly that the single button that held her top together could take no more as it popped off, disappearing into the storm. The garment now hung loosely on her shoulders, her breasts bobbing and bouncing like a child's balloons in the breeze. Her tights soon gave, exploding into pieces around her. The last bit of modesty she had was being preserved by her underwear, the black fabric contrasting with the vast volume of creme colored skin it was fighting to hold.

Kheda briefly watched as Elia continued to helplessly expand before returning back to her own similar situation. The bubble inside of her kept its pace, her stomach continuing to steadily grow larger. Somehow, though, she found that her breasts were blowing up as well, a gratuitous amount of cleavage presenting itself as it fought against her top. In fact, she began to feel the expanding pressure all throughout her body now.

Garuda threw back her head, her shrieking cackle penetrating the noise of the gale once more. "Can you fools truly comprehend my power? Now that my magic is inside of you, I can manipulate it at will. You are nothing but my helpless puppets, and I have no intention of ending this quickly, for either of you. You will suffer for my enjoyment!"

Elia felt as if she was approaching her limit, the stretching of her skin becoming unbearably painful, her body stuffed to the brim with air. A tiny prick to her ass made her wince before, ironically, bringing about a sense of relief. Though her arrows had been strewn about after impacting the wall, one had fallen close enough that its head was pressing into her ever expanding backside. Amidst her pain, a smile crept its way onto her face. She had found her salvation from this torture.

Garuda noticed the girl grinning, her mood immediately turning sour. "Hyur! What do you have to smile about?!" shrieked the harpy.

Though she moved her lips, Elia's words couldn't be heard over the roaring gale. She turned her head as best she could to face her companion one more time. She hoped her smile would be enough to help Kheda through the rest of the ordeal; It was a shame to leave her like this, but her time was at an end.

"Insolent wretch! Speak louder when I address you!" hissed Garuda.

Turning her head back towards the harpy, and with a look of fierce determination, Elia spoke loud and true. 

"FUCK YOU!"

Those were the last words she would ever speak as she expanded large enough for the arrow to pierce her flesh. In an instant, her entire body burst apart with the sudden release of pressure, various pieces of bone and viscera flying in all directions, scattered about by the winds. Specs of her blood peppered the traumatized miqo'te who had just watched her companion disappear with a gut-wrenching pop.

Garuda let loose a terrible scream. "No!" she seethed. "How dare she burst before I was through!"

As she scanned where the girl had burst, she spied the arrow on the ground that had prematurely ended her fun, a dangerous rage suddenly consuming her. Garuda rose high into the air, her intimidating form dominating the sky. Wings spread wide, she beat them with such ferocity that the ensuing gust purged the battlefield of the debris that peppered its surface whilst simultaneously shattering the stone pillar Kheda had been resting upon. Leaving as fast as it came, the wind abated revealing a spotless arena. Content with the knowledge that there would be nothing else to spoil her fun, she gracefully descended, gingerly landing on the crimson-stained grass.

The eidolon turned to face the only company that remained. "You 'warriors of light' were so convinced that your false god's blessing would allow you to prevail over any who opposed you. Defiant to the end, you were the last to bear witness as I cut down you blessed fools. Now, you alone will be the one to suffer for the sins of those who came before you." Raising her arms to the sky and with wings outstretched, Garuda was poised to deliver her final punishment. "I am your executioner! You will be my final example of what happens to all who would defy me!"

A sudden surge of internal pressure brought about immense pain in the summoner's body. Kheda screamed as she rapidly swelled in all directions, her tattered clothing falling apart in an instant. Her exaggerated proportions were being stretched, transforming her body into a tumescent globe of immense size. As she felt her limbs and neck being swallowed up by her growing form, she quietly lamented her terrible fate. She was once a symbol of hope for those she fought to defend. On her last eve of life, she had instead ended up as nothing more than a simple balloon ready to burst. She watched as Garuda plucked a single plume from her mighty wings before commanding it towards her with a fierce rapidity... and that was how it was going to end.

In her final moment of despair, Kheda suddenly saw the apparitions of her friends appear before her: The mighty paladin whom she had seen impaled on the harpy's claws, the wise black mage who had used the last of his own very essence in his spells, and Elia who had served as Kheda's rock and source of courage. All three of them smiled at the miqo'te with Elia outstretching a ghostly hand to her friend. Tears began to fall down Kheda's puffy cheeks as she suddenly understood that though she had blamed herself for their deaths, none of them were blaming. Instead, they were patiently waiting for her to join them in the Aether. Their deaths would serve to inspire future individuals to bear the burden of hope.

Kheda now found the same peace Elia had discovered just moments ago. As she closed her eyes, accepting her fate with a smile, the pressure within and the pain she felt had reached its zenith. As the razor-sharp feather pierced her turgid form, all the sensations she felt throughout suddenly disappeared for a brief moment before her consciousness slipped away. Her magnificent explosion was accompanied by a blinding flash as her aetherial essence burst from her ruined body, a pillar of light erupting for miles into the night sky.