Adventures in Athame

Chapter 4
Ups and Downs

Chapter Description: Ryan and Kuma train some more before setting out on their journey. The two run into a strong monster, but Ryan is confident.

https://www.deviantart.com/ozzieastaroth/art/Adventures-in-Athame-Chapter-4-884814

Ryan awoke with the sun peeking through the window and onto his face. He blinked and rolled over, feeling something cold and wet around his crotch. He quickly snapped to attention and sat up, peeking under the blanket. The yellow stain on his undies and the bed confirmed his fears. He had wet the bed. The smell of urine surrounded him as he looked around. The small wood room and patchwork rug reminded him of where he was and his mind raced with thoughts of the previous day. The teddy bear known as Kuma was still asleep, thankfully not wet from the puddle. Ryan got up slowly, trying not to wake him, and he held his soaking over-sized briefs up. He could feel cold little drops on his bare feet and blushed, rushing to the bathroom, trying not to leave too much of a mess.

The bathroom was a bit cramped, but fit him just fine. Ryan quickly slipped off his wet underwear and tossed it into the bath tub. It looked like a classic white tub with four brass legs holding it up, and a large silver shower head that was removable for hand washing. Luckily the bath soap and some wash clothes were right there, so he turned on the warm water and stepped in, washing the urine off of him, and also rinsing out his pee-soaked undies.

The sound of the shower woke up Kuma, and he sat up. He looked where Ryan would be and saw the wet spot, instantly knowing what had happened. The child-sized plush got out of the bed, careful not to get any on him, and used some magic to clean the bed free of urine. Their waste-banishing spells worked not only on the toilet, but on whatever they cast it on. After all, plush material could absorb liquids, and some of those liquids could be nasty. He saw a trail of wet drops and cleaned those up as well, following them to the bathroom.

Ryan heard a tiny knock at the door and dropped his soap. “Uh, Kuma?” he asked. “I'm...sorry.”

“Its okay Ryan.” said Kuma, gently. “I know you couldn't help it. Feel free to use whatever you need in there to get clean.

“I um, kinda need clean underwear.” Ryan said blushing.

“I can clean those for you.” said Kuma, happy to help his new friend.

“Oh, okay.” said Ryan, finishing up his shower. He got out and used a towel to dry off, then wrapped it around his waist. “C-come in.”

Kuma opened the door and came inside. “Let me see.” he said, pointing to the underwear.

Ryan blushed and held out the underwear and was amazed when Kuma's plush paws lit up, followed by a rush of water, wind, and even some fire to clean and dry his undies.

“How's that?” asked Kuma.

Ryan looked at his clean dry undies and smiled. “Nice, thank you!” he said, and slipped them on, then dropped the towel. “Boy magic sure comes in handy! In my world, we have metal machines that wash and dry our clothes, but it still takes hours. You did that in just a few seconds!”

“Life must be very difficult with magic.” said Kuma. “I can't imagine life without it!”

After getting dressed and having breakfast, Ryan and Kuma went out into the back yard to practice some sword techniques some more. This time he learned to parry, dodge, and block with his sword. He practiced all day, and when lunch came they took a break to eat. Ryan made sure to use the potty before going back out, not wanting to have an accident. Once it began to get dark they headed back over to Hedwig's house to practice magic.

“Oh hoo!” Hedwig greeted. “Time for some more magic lessons? I hope everything has gone well for you today. Let's take a look at your stats.” The wise old owl plush looked over Ryan's stat sheets and nodded. “Very good! Your sword skill is up to a new level! I think it is about time you start practicing on live targets.”

“Live targets?” asked Ryan. “Like those monsters?”

“Yes, but smaller ones.” said Hedwig. “Kuma knows where to find some low level monsters to fight. You will learn faster by fighting and defeating them. Just be careful.”

“That sounds like fun!” shouted Ryan. “I wish we could do it now.”

“Its too dangerous for someone of your level to go out at night just yet.” warned Hedwig. “Soon though. Now let's begin!” He began the lesson by having them both cast the same spells at the same time, making a double-y effective magical attack on a straw dummy. Together they practiced until dinner, and Ryan's magic stats grew even more. Kuma seemed to disappear during dinner though, and eventually came back.

“Where did you go?” asked Ryan.

“Just to get something for later.” said Kuma. “Lets finish up our training.”

“Oh, okay.” said Ryan. They continued to practice magic until both were very tired, and it was time for bed.

When the two got back to Kuma's house, the little plush bear offered Ryan something.

“What is this?” asked Ryan. He looked at it and it looked like a disposable Goodnites for bed wetters.

“Um, well, I thought, since you had that accident, maybe you should wear one of these.” said Kuma shyly.

“A d-diaper?” asked Ryan. His voice cracked a little, reminding him he had regressed to fourteen. Either way, he wasn't a baby, and didn't want to wear a diaper like one. “I don't need a diaper! I'll just make sure I pee before laying down.”

“Not a diaper. They are more like training pants. Believe it or not, you are not the only one to lose their potty training. It happened to me once.” he blushed. “So I know how it is. These are quite convenient for night time accidents.” said Kuma. “Please wear them. I would rather not risk waking up to a wet bed again.”

Ryan blushed and sighed. The little teddy bear was just too cute to resist. He walked into the bathroom and stripped to his underwear, then took that off and looked at the Goodnites. It was white with blue sides, and the front had moons and stars on it. He blushed and slipped it on. To his surprise, it was quite comfortable and fit him well. Kuma must have gotten some for him at the store when he slipped away during dinner. He smiled a bit, knowing Kuma didn't want him to be embarrassed in front of Hedwig, and appreciated the concern. He exited the bathroom and greeted Kuma, wearing only the padded protection.

“Oh good!” said Kuma with a smile. “I'm glad it fits.”

“Y-yeah.” said Ryan, blushing. He didn't feel as embarrassed standing in front of a small living plush as he would have a human or family member. It almost felt like being in front of a toy. “Th-thanks.”

“You are most welcome!” said Kuma. “Now, let's get some sleep.” Once again, he got in bed first, followed by Ryan.

Ryan, felt the little bear snuggling against him again and smiled. His Goodnites rustled a bit whenever he moved, reminding him of his childish situation. Eventually he drifted off to sleep again.

In the morning, Ryan awoke to find the bed was dry. He was happy at first, but when he got up he felt something squish against him. It was the Goodnites, warm and squishy, but did he did not feel any wetness at all on his skin. Curious, he poked at it a bit, then heard Kuma waking up.

“Good morning Ryan.” said Kuma. “How did you sleep?”

“Much better this time, thanks.” said Ryan. “I guess I...wet again in my sleep.”

“Its okay Ryan.” said Kuma. “You'll regain your potty training in time.”

“I sure hope so.” said Ryan. “This is embarrassing.” He got up and the Goodnites sagged between his legs. The moons and stars had faded away with wetness. It was completely contained however, and he was amazed that it felt so comfortable even when wet. “These really keep the skin dry. Not like ones in my world.”

“Oh, well, ours use magic to automatically suction up the pee as soon ass it comes out, not allowing any of it to get on us. You see, our skin and bodies tend to absorb moisture, so we do our best to keep it off of us.”

“That makes sense.” said Ryan. “Guess I'll go get changed.”

“Oh, when you change, please toss the used training pants into the white pail in the bathroom.” said Kuma.

“O-okay.” said Ryan. He went into the bathroom and tried to make sense of how a plush could eat and drink, pee and poop, yet still become soggy when exposed to water. It was better to just shrug it off and go with it. No need to focus on unimportant details. He quickly stripped off his heavy Goodnites and disposed of it in the white pail. To his surprise, it disappeared once inside, likely due to more waste disposal magic.

After getting dressed and having breakfast, it was another full day and night of training, followed by another. The live targets Hedwig mentioned turned out to be small slime creatures that moved slowly and did little damage. According to Kuma, the slimes tended to prey on the weakest of people. Just a little stolen experience could evolve them into larger, stronger creatures, but since everyone kept within the boarders of the town for the most part, they stayed small and remained easy to defeat. Ryan was growing more and more confident about his abilities after defeating so many and boosting his stats. He could use most of his spells by merely thinking the words now instead of saying them out loud. He even woke up a few times without having wet himself, and felt proud of his accomplishment.

A few days later, Ryan was becoming more and more eager to start their journey to learn teleportation magic. Even though he had made new friends in this new world, he wanted to get home as soon as possible. Hedwig strongly warned against it, but also felt like the two of them together could do well, provided they avoided the stronger monsters. He set them up with some supplies and gave them a map, guiding them to a town called Briar Cove. It was a dangerous journey, but once there they could learn the teleportation magic and simply teleport back to the village. After giving them each a hug, they bid farewell and headed out.

Ryan and Kuma encountered a few low-level monsters at first, working their way far from the village on foot. The road was dirt, but it was a road well traveled so it took the least dangerous route. Ryan enjoyed taking out the monsters, feeling like it was revenge for them taking things from him. However, eventually they came across a larger monster. It was a shadow beast. A creature of a humanoid shape, but with no detail, seemingly made of darkness. The only feature that can be made out is a pair of red glowing eyes.

“We should run from this one.” said Kuma. “Let's go around. It'll take longer, but I don't think we can take it.”

Ryan huffed. “I think we can.” he said. His knowledge of video games, RPGs in particular, made him feel like they could win with the right tactics. “In my world we play games like this where strategy is key. “I'll hit him with some light magic. Since he's made of shadow that should be his weakness. You hit him with fire just in case he isn't.”

“Ryan, are you sure about this?” asked a cautious Kuma.

“Yes, these things need to pay for what they've put me, and other people through.” said Ryan. “I call upon the light!” He spoke a spell of light, aiming his palms at the creature, shooting it with beams of bright light.

Kuma waved his magic wand and cast some fire spells at the creature. It moaned and moved, seemingly defeated.

“Yeah!” shouted Ryan. “I told you we could do it.” He smiled and turned to high five the living teddy bear, but then saw a look of shock on his face.

“Ryan look out!” Kuma shouted, but it was too late. The shadow beast was still up and attacked Ryan, scratching his back with claws, knocking him to the ground.

“Aaaagh!” shouted Ryan, laying prone on the ground. His back burned with pain.

“Take that you monster!” shouted Kuma, showering the monster with more fire magic.

The monster roared and latched onto Ryan, doing more damage.

Ryan yelled, his voice getting higher and his body getting smaller. He wiggled and squirmed, kicking at the monster before getting his sword, which was much heavier now, and slashing at it.

The monster released Ryan and stumbled back, but was soon pelted with more fire from Kuma.

“Stay back!” yelled Kuma. “Back! Back!” He shouted again and again, stepping forward each time and casting again. His anger and desperation began to take over and he wanted to protect his friend. Suddenly one of the fire spells he cast became a bolt of lightning, and struck the monster, taking it down finally. “Oh...oh my.”

Ryan saw it all but laid there hurt, squirming in his large clothing. “K-Kuma?” he said in a squeaky kid voice. “What happened?”

“Oh no.” said Kuma, coming over to Ryan. “You...you're younger. A lot younger. Here, let me heal you.” He held out his soft plush paws and used his magic to heal Ryan's injuries.

Ryan felt his pain fade and his wounds heal. He stood up and his clothing fell, save for his tunic which now hung down past his knees. “I got so...small.” Tears began to form in his eyes, though he tried to fight them back. It was no use though, and he began to wail like the child he had become.

“Shhh, its okay Ryan.” said Kuma, giving him a hug. “Please, don't cry. You'll attract more monsters.”

Ryan cried and sniffled, calming down a bit from the hug. Then he felt his childish emotions welling up again. “No its NOT okay!” he shouted. “This sucks!” He kicked a rock, but it only caused his boot to fly off.

“We should get moving.” said Kuma. “Your clothes are much too big now. Let me carry them.”

Ryan sniffled and looked at Kuma, who now looked much taller. In fact they were now the same height. reluctantly gave up his clothes, except for his tunic.

Kuma gathered up the clothes and put them in a sack, then held Ryan's hand as they walked down the road. “I'm sorry that happened.” he said.

“Its my fault.” said Ryan. He looked down at his little feet as he walked, and examined his hands. They were a bit pudgier and softer. He felt the soft dirt under his bare tender soles as he walked. “I should have listened to you. Now I'm even younger. I'm just glad you were there. What was with the lightning?”

“I guess my emotions amplified my magic.” said Kuma, looking at his paws. “That's never happened to me before.”

Ryan nodded and looked down at his little companion, who wasn't so little anymore. It felt so strange to suddenly be so small.

Kuma noticed Ryan's troubled expression and held his hand. He glanced at his child of a friend and smiled hopefully. “It'll be okay.” he said.

Ryan suddenly felt a bit better. He always felt better when Kuma showed him kindness. His touch and embrace seemed to have a calming effect on him. Up ahead was a river and a spot free of monsters made for camping.

“We can stop here and camp for the night.” said Kuma. “Its completely free of monsters due to a warding effect placed here a long time ago to protect travelers.”

Ryan nodded, still feeling very small and weaker. His sword felt a lot heavier on his back and he felt silly just wearing a tunic. “Okay.” he said meekly. “Let's stop.”

Kuma took out a tent from their supplies and with Ryan's help they set it up. “I'll make something to eat.” he said.

Ryan nodded and helped make a fire. He sat by it and nearly fell asleep when he felt something strange. Looking down, he blushed to see a wet spot spreading across the front of his tunic. “Oh no! I'm peeing!” he shouted. “I can't stop it!” The little boy ran out to the river and blushed, finishing his business there before walking back all soaked.

“I guess you lost more of your potty training.” said Kuma. “We should check to see what else you lost.”

Ryan nodded, blushing and looking at his stats. He was shocked to see he could barely read any of it. “Um, I can't read most of this.” he said, blushing even more.

“Let me see.” said Kuma. “Oh no... According to this, you are down to eight-years-old! You've lost more of your reading and comprehension skills. Its down to level three. Your potty training is now down to level four. I believe it was at level eight before. Your math skills are down to level five and your overall strength and endurance have been reduced along with your body and age. Your magic skills seem to be untouched though, so that's good!” He looked over at Ryan who was visibly disturbed. “I'm so sorry.”

“J-just...let me deal with this for a bit.” said Ryan. “I need to think.”

Kuma nodded and used some magic to clean and dry his tunic. “Take all the time you need.” he said.

Ryan sat by the fire and looked down at his little body. He blushed at how small everything was, and how there was no longer any body hair on him at all. He was smooth and soft all over, just like a child would be. “Eight.” he thought. “I'm eight-years-old again. Just a little kid. A bed and pants wetter at that.” His mind wondered to how he would explain this whenever he got back to his own world. If he ever got back at all... Would he get even younger before this was all over? No, he had to avoid that at all costs.

Soon Kuma had finished cooking and brought some to Ryan. “Here, eat up.” he said. “You'll feel better.”

Ryan smiled a little and ate some tasty food along with Kuma by the fire. Night fell, and soon it was time for bed. Luckily Kuma had thought ahead to bring more Goodnites, and even had some in smaller sizes. He helped Ryan into some and put out the fire. Soon they were sleeping in their tent, all curled up with each other. Ryan unconsciously snuggled Kuma as if he were a toy plush, and a thumb found its way into his mouth as he slept. He dreamed of being a big boy again, strong and capable.

To be continued...