The Adventures of Ozzie Astaroth

Chapter 31
Chapter 31

Chapter Description: Ozzie and Deven enter the tower and discover each floor is like a different world.

Inside the giant tower's first floor looked like a bunch of stone carvings. Each of them had shocked and pained expressions on their faces.

“Wondew wha deze statues is for.” said Ozzie, the little skunk mage.

“I got a bad feewing.” said Deven. “I heawd stowies about a monstah dat tuwns peopwe into stone.”

“Ya fink deze peopwe were weal?” Ozzie asked, gently tapping on one of the statues.

“I hope not.” said Deven. The two looked around and headed up the stairs. There were more statues here and there, and some of them were broken. A few more levels upward, they heard a hissing sound.

“Whats dat?” asked Ozzie. “Do you heaw it?”

“Yeah.” said Deven. “Sounds wike a snake. A big one.” This level was like a winding stone hallway with torches here and there for light. As such, their vision was limited and they had to rely on other senses to figure out which was to go.

“Dis wike a maze.” said Ozzie. “I wondew if dere ish any tweasure hidden awound.”

“Hehe, maybe.” said Deven. “I hope ish gowd ow somefin shiny!”

After going in a bit further, there was another hiss. “It's getting cwoser.” Ozzie whispered.

“We need to be quiet.” whispered Deven. “Maybe we can sneak up on it.” He tiptoed carefully down the hall with Ozzie next to him.

Ozzie floated quietly, trying to make as little noise as possible. However, his diaper kept crinkling.

“Dat dumb diapee makes too much noise.” Deven complained.

“Sowwy.” Ozzie whispered. “It's one pwobwem wif diapees.” Just then, the sound of hissing started coming closer to them.

“It's comin!” shouted Drake. “Get weady!” He prepared his fire.

Ozzie prepared a spell as the sound came closer and closer. Once it appeared, it was a giant hooded serpent! It was what most would call a basilisk, and could petrify anyone just by looking them in the eyes.

“Dun wook it in da eyes!” shouted Deven. “Dis wha tuwned evwyone to stone!”

“Got it!” said Ozzie, making sure to avoid its gaze. “Wets see how it wikes a bit of fiwe!” He twirled his little paws and unleashed a huge fireball upon the serpent. The fireball struck the serpent, but did very little to damage it. Still, it came closer.

“I dun fink fiwe gonna wowk.” said Deven. “Maybe if I try it. My dwagon fiwe can buwn anyfing!” He inhaled deeply then exhaled, breathing a stream of dragon fire on the serpent. It writhed and shook in pain as its very scales were burned away.

“Oooh, dat huwt it!” Ozzie smiled. “Wifout its scawes...” The little skunk wizard began charging a huge ball of magical power and then threw it at the monster snake. “I bet dis wiww huwt a wot!” The ball hit its target and exploded in a giant radiant blast, eradicating the serpent.

“We did it!” shouted Drake. “Dat was a good one!”

“Why ish yer fiwe diffwent?” asked Ozzie as they continued on.

“Evwy dwagon ish bown wif a diffwent fiwe.” Deven explained. “Mine ish ware. It can buwn anyfing, even tings dat wesist fiwe.” Just then there was more hissing.

“Uh oh.” said Ozzie. “Dere's mowe dan one!” He looked on and saw a large group of giant serpents coming at them.

“Guess we gotta tuwn up da heat!” said Deven. He inhaled until his lungs were totally full, then exhaled a large burst of dragon fire at the group. Only the ones in front took damage from it though. “I gotta chawge up anothew one!”

“Nu pwobwem!” said Ozzie. He had already been charging up another magical explosion, and tossed it a them. It hit them head on and only a few were left, but still charging at them. The two little regressed adventurers backed up, charging up their attacks again, but the wall behind them began to move, pushing them forwrad.

“Oh gweat.” said Deven. “We need mowe time!”

“I got it!” Ozzie put his hand on Deven's shoulder and froze time for everything but them.

“Oh wow, you stopped em!” Deven looked around and noticed the flames on the torches along the walls had stopped moving too. “You stopped evwything!”

“Yeah, but only for a bit.” said Ozzie. “When it unfreezes we hit em hawd. Weady?”

“I weady!” said Deven. He fully charged his flames and was ready when time resumed, engulfing the rest of the serpents in his fire. They writhed and screeched in pain.

Ozzie cast another explosion ball and annihilated the remaining enemies. “Whew!” he said, sitting down. “Dat was cwose.”

“Ah, yeah.” said Deven, sitting next to him. “I didn't know ya couwd stop time.”

“Oh, yeah.” said Ozzie. “I was abwe to wearn time and space magic fwom dat demon dat wegwessed me.”

“Demons are owr enemies hewe.” said Deven. “Be caweful tawkin about dem awound mothew dwagon.”

“I keep dat in mind.” said Ozzie. He took out a baby bottle of chocolate formula and offered one to Deven.

“No fanks.” he said, and pulled out some dried meat to snack on. After they had snacked, they continued their journey up to the next floor. They passed by the nest of serpents and saw some eggs.

“Maybe we can cook em!” said Deven drooling. He packed them in his food pouch and carried on.

“Heh, I guess.” said Ozzie. He wasn't sure snake eggs would taste very good. Looking around the next floor, there was more light as there were windows here that allowed the light in, as well as torches to be lit at night. It was made of stone and wood, like the previous levels, but here there were makeshift walls to create rooms with beds and tables inside. They soon heard stirring in these rooms and out came about six large human barbarians. They were positively massive, with large muscles, bushy beards of various color, and only wore loin cloths, fur boots, and various animal skin pelts.

“Humans!” said Deven. “I dun fink dey fwiendly.”

“A baby skunk and puny dragon?” said one of the bronze-skinned barbarians. “How did you get this far?”

“We onwy wook n sound wike babies.” said Ozzie. “We ish vewy stwong!”

“Well I'm afraid we can't let you pass.” said one of the huge men. “You see we have been put here to keep people from reaching the top.” He picked up a giant ax. “Nothing personal.”

“You wewe put hewe?” asked Ozzie. “By whom?”

“The master of this tower.” said the hunter. “We have no choice. It's either this or death, and at least this way we get to hunt anyone who enters, as well as the monsters on other floors.”

“Maybe we can hewp ya get outta hewe.” said Ozzie. “I dun wanna huwt you.”

“You don't understand.” said the barbarian. “This is what we were born and raised to do. We know of no other life. This is our home and we will continue to drive off invaders. Now prepare yourself!” They yelled and charged at the little dragon and skunk duo.

Deven used just a bit of his fire and somehow the barbarians weren't affected by it. “Wha? How?!” he asked, being bashed by a fist into the wall.

“We have coated our skin with oil that resists fire.” said one barbarian. “Each layer that burns away is replaced by another with magic.”

“You huwt my fwiend!” shouted Ozzie, using strong winds to blow the big men back.

“I'm fine!” said Deven, already healing himself. “Wemembah I can heaw!”

“Wha shouwd we do?” asked Ozzie. “Dey humans, not dawk cweatures ow monstahs. I dun wanna huwt em. Ish not dere fawt dey ended up wike dis.”

“We gotta do somefin though!” said Deven. “They gonna kiww us!”

“You're strong, but we're stronger!” shouted one of the men, charging at the two with a giant sword.

“I gots an idea, keep em distwacted!” said Ozzie.

“Got it!” said Deven. “Hey you big dummies! Can't get me!” He flew around the group of barbarians occasionally breathing fire at them.

The big, strong men kept swinging their weapons at the little dragon, but he was too fast for them and kept out of their reach. Soon, their weapons began to feel heavier in their hands and their swings became slower.

“What's going on?” asked one of the men. “My ax is getting so heavy!”

“Mine too!” shouted another. Still, they kept at it. One grabbed a knife since it was less heavy and stabbed at Deven, only to trip over his own boots.

“What is this madness?” said another barbarian, noticing his beard receding into his face. Soon the others were stumbling over their own feet and holding their loin cloths up as they got smaller and younger.

“We're shrinking!” one of the men shouted as his tan faded and his facial hair disappeared.

“No, we're getting younger!” shouted another as his voice cracked. “How is this happening?!”

Ozzie was working his magic on them, turning all of the big strong men into weak little boys. He giggled as he watched them try to hide their dwindling shame instead of fighting.

“Hehe, dats a good idea skunky!” said Deven. “Make em aww babies!”

“Not babies!” shouted one of the men turned boy.

“Don't wanna be a baby!” shouted another as he shrank down into single digits. Soon they were just toddlers, trying to get away, but there was no where to go.

The two boys watched as the former big brave men became little crying babies having accidents on the floor.

“Aww, they kinda cute now.” said Ozzie with a giggle. “Bettew make suwe dey awe waised wight dis time.” He opened a portal back to the dragon's den and floated the little baby humans into it.

“What is this?” said mother dragon. “Baby humans? Why did you bring them here?”

“They was in owr way so I wegwessed dem.” said Ozzie. “Can yoo keep an eye on dem tiww we done? Den we can find em a home.” He giggled and laid the babies down on a blanket in front of mother dragon.

“I suppose so.” said mother dragon. “I will diaper them and make sure no harm comes to them.”

“Fanks mama dwagon!” said Ozzie. “Nuffin pewsonal.” He stuck his tongue out at the former barbarians and he hopped back through the portal to Deven.

“Dat was a diffwent way to deaw wif enemies.” Deven giggled. “I not fink of dat, buh I couwd use my heawing magic on someone to make em a baby. It take wonger dan yer magic did though.”

“Weww, we shouwdn't hawm anyone unwess we hafta.” said Ozzie. “Monstahs n wiwd animaws ish one fing, buh humans and othews dat can fink and tawk awe anothew.”

“I guess so.” said Deven. “Buh if ish dem ow us, aww bets awe off. Sometimes thewe is no othew choice.”

“I knows.” said Ozzie, remembering having to do away with a certain witch once. “Wets keep goin.”

The two continued upward to the next floor and once there saw a large open grassy area. It was as if they were outside. There were even sunlight and clouds in the sky. Yet at the other end of the room there were stairs leading up.

“How is dis possibwe?” asked Deven.

“It's space magic.” said Ozzie. “Somehow dey got da outside on da inside, buh onwy fow dis fwoor.”

“It must be whewe da huntews hunted.” said Deven. He saw a few deer and other wildlife roaming around. “Wha happens when ya go too far?” He walked toward the edge by the stairs but was stopped by an invisible force.

“It onwy wets ya go so faw.” said Ozzie. “Da awea is wimited to da size of da fwoor.”

“It's stwange.” said Deven, poking the invisible wall. “Guess we can take a bit of a bweak hewe.” He began setting up another campfire.

“Good idea.” said Ozzie, setting up the tent again.

Deven snuck off to hunt some deer. He had done this before when the village needed meat. The little dragon knew how to get close without being detected, and then use his claws to make the kill, as well as skin the animal. Soon he brought back some meat, although he had blood all over him.

“Hehe, yer a widdle huntew.” said Ozzie. He used some water magic to clean off the dragon's scaly hide.

Deven giggled and set up a spit roast for the meat and began cooking it as well as some of the eggs he got earlier.

Ozzie settled in, removing his clothing except for his diaper, which needed changing. He changed and cleaned himself, then put his dirty diaper down by some rocks. “Deven?” he asked. “Wouwd you mind?”

“Hehe, okay.” said Deven, and he incinerated the diaper completely with his dragon fire.

Ozzie giggled and sat back down by the fire. “Dats awways fun to watch.” he said. “Ish bettew dan putt em in da twash I guess.”

“No use in takin up mowe space dan ya need to.” said Deven. He continued cooking as Ozzie watched and helped by bringing out some baby bottles with fruit juice in them.

“Hewe ya go.” said Ozzie, offering a bottle to Deven.

“We dwagons dun need to suckle fwom teats.” said Deven.

“Go on and give it a twy.” said Ozzie. “If ya dun wike it, I gots cups.”

Deven reluctantly accepted the bottle and tried sucking on it. He had a hard time at first, but eventually developed a rhythm to it. “It's not bad I guess.” he said. “Ya mammaws have some good ideas sometimes.” He knew the way of mammals and how they suckled from their mothers, as well as how baby bottles mimicked this.

“Yeah, it can be wewaxing.” said Ozzie, leaning back against a rock and suckling from his bottle. Soon the meat was done and the two ate until their tummies were full, though Deven ate more being a dragon and all. Once all that was left was bones, Deven burned them away as well and the two crawled into the tent for a nap.