Interlude Special: A Sweet Summer Treat

During the Apocalyptic end times of Pandora's Tears, a certain candy coated carnivore was wandering the streets of the city. They were the ever hungry fusion of sweet treats and meat, Tophina Lolligore. 

They had been hunting for any sort of food, well, something to turn into food. Yet, as the wendigo was going to feast on a fleeing goblin couple, a rift opened beneath their feet, dragging them to another world.

The Eye.

Despite the bizarre comfort they felt in their brief moment in the void, the new world the Wendigo had arrived in seemed ever more appetizing than any food source the Iris could provide. The creature was thrown from the sky and had in a forest in a far off kingdom known as V'atruth. 

The kingdom neighboured Siren's Tears, separated only by a large mountain range. The kingdom was as prosperous and welcoming as any other. Yet, on one brisk summer morning, a group of adventurers were tasked with finding out what had landed in the forest just outside the heavily protected walls. 

A heroic centaur warrior wielding a spear, Posas, was taking charge as his groups leader into the forest. He was sure of himself and his companions strength. After all, the small group was trying to make it to the big leagues and perhaps protect the queen herself one day.

The druidic dryad, Aster and her human partner, Elias, where more than happy to tag along. After all, this was to be a celebration of the two's love. It was their first mission together since their marriage, and the two were going to put up as much of a fight against any beast needed to be slain. 

Though that dream wasn't exactly shared with the goblin machinist, Wretz, who had only joined the other three to make enough gold to fund her own workshop. Yet, even still, she had grown close enough with the three to call them friends. 

The four ventured into the forest before mid day, exploring it thoroughly, only finding cookie crumbs left in a trail. Posas was getting worried over the idea of a child having gotten lost in the woods, and despite Wretz saying that it was unlikely, both Aster and Elias began feeling his empathetic woes. 

So the simple subjugation mission had turned into a mini hunt for this child that could or could not exist. 

Despite Wretz's constant nagging that they should turn back, the three were certain someone could be in danger. And soon enough, they did find someone in danger. 

As the four wandered around, Aster pointed to a fleeing bandit who's arm almost looked like a lamb chop. A bizarre sight to be sure, but the heroes couldn't let this man go without help. Once the bandit noticed them, instead of joining them, he continued to flee, screaming something about a candy coated beast. 

A candy coated beast? Ridiculous. 

That was the sentiment the four shared, after all, why would such a thing exist? It did make the centaur laugh. But they figured they should go towards where the bandit had fled from, since the cookie crumb trail led that way as well. 

Once they reached the clearing, they came upon what once seemed like a bandit camp covered in hardened candy and cooked meaty slices left on a pan. 

Aster used her ego to try and find out what caused this. And as she approached a cooking pit with a frying pan left on top, she began reading the aura... 

It was almost immediate, that Aster let out a terrified scream. Something about the aura of the meat inside the frying pan had scared her into a frenzy. As Elias tried to comfort his fear struck wife, Posas looked around, noticing what looked like a captured woman who's entire lower half was missing, looking as if it had been ripped off by a rabid beast. 

Wretz, on the other hand, checked inside a nearby tent to find two figures hidden beneath a cloth under a table. She wanted so badly to just leave them their, after all, no one would know. But her empathy was greater than her selfishness. 

"Come out, I won't hurt you." She called out with a smile, not even having to duck under the large wooden table. She slowly took off the cover to a horrifying sight. Underneath the cover were Two young figures covered in a thick, goopy ink like substance. 

The two seemed scared, only mumbling and muttering about 'the evil pink candy creature'. Wretz tried her best to try and talk to the two, only to be met with continued rambling nonsense about the creature. 

It took little time for Wretz to figure something out. These were corpses. Shades of the victims attacked by whatever this pink thing was.

With little else to go on, and not wanting to upset the group at the sight of these things, Wretz put the cover back over them before going out. The goblin tried her best to convince Posas to leave and gather more people to deal with this threat. But he was having none of it. 

He knew that what was out here must still be close and if it escaped, it could spell disaster for the kingdom. He was too noble for his own good.

A shame really. 

As the two began to argue, they failed to notice something was slinking around in the shade. It was still bright out, and despite how clear their surroundings were, the creature remained low. Watching. Watching Elias as he comforted his ever loving wife specifically.

He had managed to get her to calm down just enough for her to tell them what was in that frying pan. 

It wasn't so much a simple meal. It was a person... But not like a hand or a leg. No. It was an entire person. Their body having been turned into a living piece of meat. 

Elias felt his skin crawl at the words. He let out a sigh as he stood up. "We're going to leave. I don't care what you say, Posas. We'll come back with an army and-"

The three's faint smiles were gone, replaced with a sense of fear as a pair of candy cane coloured deer antlers poked out from behind the human. Before he could turn to see what had caused his friends' fear, a purple and pink rock candy claw ripped into his chest with a single slash.

He let out a scream of pain, watching as his blood solidified into red liquorice laces that hung out of his open chest cavity. 

The three were frozen, watching as the beast grabbed a massive handful of the laces and using its free hand to part its white, inky sweet filled hair that touched the ground to the side, revealing its face... Or seeming lack their of.

The only thing that was discernible about the creature's face was its pink bubble gum like skin and a long thin line that was spread across its face resembling a mouth. As the monster slowly put the laces to its face, the line had to practically unstick itself to open into a sharp mess of sharp, carnivores teeth.

Aster let out a scream, trying to use her ego to pull her husband away. The beast was seemingly preoccupied with the candy anyway. As Elias was slowly pulled away, the beast continued eating its fill. 

"Come on. You aren't dying to day." She mumbled, getting a bit of help from Wretz and Posas's egos to boot. Yet... The beast wasn't as mindless as they originally perceived it to be. As it slurped up the rest of the laces in one go, it tilted its head with a light bit of dual laughter.

"What are you doing?/Are you guys stupid or something?" Two distinct voices said in unison, one feminine and refined, the other a soft masculine voice, yet both sounded amused.

The three were all shocked that the beast could speak, dropping their hold on Elias. The beast gave another light chuckle, and thinking it cruel to let this man live longer in suffering, dug its rock candy claw into his chest. 

Elias let out a final scream that was interrupted by the sound of his throat turning to chocolate. The beast sighed and began to dig in, its deer like legs clopping against the muddied ground. It hunched over and began to eat, yet noticing the terrified sadness in Aster's face, it felt compassion.

The creature ripped off the chocolate head of Elias and held it up to the dryad's face. 

"Want a bite?"

The dryad tried her best to scream, yet a tiny wheeze was the only sound she could make. She felt her stomach churn as she watched this monster eat her husband like a snack. The beast seemed to take this as a sign that she didn't want any, so she took a massive bite from his head. 

That was the final straw, Aster threw up a thick sap like substance, feeling disgusted at the sight. But that seemed to only make the beast hungrier.

Now they wanted a dessert option.

The creature ran a finger through the sappy vomit before tasting it, shuddering in delight. It was an immaculate taste, one that they thought was worthy of later use. They had never tried sap so sweet and the emotions formed in it from the terror just enhanced the flavour. 

With a playful giggle, the monster stood to its full height, easily towering over the remaining three. As Posas scooped Wretz onto his back and fled for their lives, Aster was unfortunate enough to be left alone with the lanky and gangly monster. 

In a single swipe with its rock candy claws, the dryad's bark like body was melded and melted into a more fluffy and scrumptious stack of pancakes that collapsed to the floor. Wretz watched in the ever increasing distance as the beast fed on her friends. 

But as Posas ran for the hills, the creature had already finished the pancakes. Still unsatisfied. Still hungry. 

They wanted a main course.

And what better meal than horse? 

Once the centaur thought they were a good distance away, the two remaining adventurers could see the ever present safety of the kingdom's walls. It was like the sun itself was giving them a beacon of hope.

But they were running from a Domain Leader after all. Hope was pointless.

As he ran for the safety of the kingdom, Wretz screamed frantically for him to speed up. Behind them, Tophina stood, every tree behind them having been turned to sweets or meats. 

The candified wendigo dug its claw into the ground before upheaving the ground, creating a meatifying shockwave directly for the two. Posas, having barely anytime to take action and not wanting to let their story go unheard, threw Wretz to the side of the blast.

She felt like she was watching a nightmare playout in front of her as her friend was left screaming in agony, his skin melding and melting against other parts of his body in a horrific display of gore. It was mind breaking for her, she felt the helplessness of the many who had faced the two before in that moment. 

If this thing was allowed to live, it would surely come after her kingdom.

As the candy creature began to feast on the meaty pile that used to be her leader, Wretz pulled out her old flintlock pistol and took a deep breath, aiming a shot directly for the beast's head.

"E-Eat this..." She mumbled to herself in a hushed whisper before firing the shot.

BANG

The beast fell face first into the meat pile. Wretz was radiant with relief, slowly going over to the body just to make sure it was dead. She loaded up another shot and again fired.

BANG

The beast was limp, perfectly still. The goblin stared at the meaty mass, well what remained of it, feeling a sense of true accomplishment. She had felled a beast that could turn people to food with a simple attack of its claw. 

Why would she not feel joy? 

But this is Tophina Lolligore. The creature that lived having its body turned into a gummy deer. 

The wendigo slowly stood up, parting its hair to pull the bullets from its bubblegum skin that quickly closed back up. Wretz's courage had all but faded in the moment. She didn't have the confidence to turn around. She didn't want to face her death. 

"J-J-Just make i-it quick!" 

The goblin screamed for a quick death. A death that didn't arrive. Tophina slowly slinked past, their twisted wrapper like tail dragging behind as they trailed back into the forest. Tophina was hungry, and without a steady supply of meals, they would end up binge eating once more. 

But what if Tophina didn't have to starve but instead was given a meal every day?

A sacrifice.

"W-Wait!" Wretz yelled. The beast stopped in its tracks, not exactly caring what the goblin wanted. "What... W-What if you w-were given a-a meal e-everyday? L-Like say... A-A kingdom?"

The two halves were curious, speaking in one as they turned back around. They parted their hair enough to reveal their peppermint swirl like eyes looking down to the trembling little goblin. "Go on then. We don't have all day/all of time."

With a quick cough, Wretz took a deep breath and suggested a plan. One that was devilishly delightful to them. 

It had been three days since the kingdom heard the news about a creature in the forest, one that could do many things for fantastical even in this world. Yet the queen of the kingdom, Endia, refused to listen to reason. 

She had ordered the forest be left alone to try and starve the creature out. Yet, unbeknownst to even her, the creature was already in the city. As the queen went to sit on her throne, hoping the issue would resolve itself, she found a single wrapped candy in her seat.

"Hmm?" She pondered what it was, perhaps a gift? She opened it to find a curiously shaped gummy. One of a multi-coloured deer like creature. It did look rather appetising to her, and in a single bite, she ate it.

But as the minutes passed, she felt weary. Perhaps she had been poisoned? No, she was beloved by the people. Who would do such a thing? 

"I'm s-sorry..." A small goblin whispered from behind a pillar. As if on cue, the queen fell limp before shooting up with life. "Hmm... Not as tasty as our own treats." Two voices spoke from her mouth. Tophina had eaten the queen from the inside, melting their own flesh into replacing her. 

Why hunt when you can have your meals delivered to you on a golden platter?

Weltz had betrayed her kingdom in exchange for her dream. In the coming months, the kingdom of V'atruth was transformed from a kingdom of peace to a kingdom of sweets. The people had to fear their once benevolent queen sentencing them to the dungeon where none returned.

Creatures made of a thick inky substance soon came forward as her royal guards and her right hand, Weltz, had become a cruel creature in her own right. Always finding new ways to appease her candy queen.

"Long Live Queen Endia." Was once a phrase that was seen as a common blessing, but the words had become a curse. One only fuelled by the wicked creature that hungered inside her. The truth of the matter is... 

No matter the world, hunger always claims those who lie in wait. Claim your feast and grow fat from strength.

Long Live The Candy Queen, Tophina Lolligore.