Having been unable to forget about her first strange encounter on the beach just mere days before Mirela was spending all of her time keeping herself busy, keeping up with her class workloads, getting to know some of the other students, or even messing with the little details in her dorm room, but today the day of classes had ended and the few students she had gotten to know were too busy to have time for fun. Still she wanted to keep herself busy so Mirela decided it was time to take a risk. She was going to try and map some of the clear trails inside the forest so if she happened to run into another "alien", or "monster", or whatever the hell they were she would have some chance of getting away.

Of course the other thought in the back of her mind was if she was found today, having gone into the forest with no idea of where exactly she was going, it would almost seem as if she was asking to be attacked again. And with that dreadful thought in mind she had dressed herself in what resembled a vest, brown as the shifting sands and with ties holding it together in the front but still showing bits of the bronzed skin of her stomach and the ample flesh of her breasts which were obviously unrestrained by anything besides the vest itself, and a pair of pants, similar in color and style to the vest although not nearly as revealing, and picked up a large notebook of paper and made her way out into the forest.

And after what seemed like miniscule progress into this massive endeavor things began to go wrong... A clearing in the distance, and here right with her, no, it seemed to be everywhere around her was a monsterous growl and its owner who hid within the shadows....

As Mirela is alerted to the roar, her eyes adjust to the shadowy forest canopy. At first she can't make out what made the terrible noise - indeed it seems like nothing is there at all. And then the horrible realization comes, the noise emanated from the forest itself in a very literal sense. What looked like simply an ancient if off-color oak tree was moving. Near its trunk, what could only be described as a mouth opened up to display a seemingly endless black void. From this a gray tongue emerged, sliding along its lips in a manner impossibly lewd for an eyeless beast.

Before the poor heroine can even recover from her shock, another terrible realization comes to her. At her feet, what she thought was just some light bramble brushing against her legs, is now beginning to wrap around her leg in a way that no plant should be capable of.

The roar surrounding Mirela had quickened her eyes adjustment to the darkness of the forest of path and at the sight of the roar's owner her expression shifted from shock.... to terror as she felt a bramble wrapping around her leg. Plants can't do that!! was all she was thinking and as her mind raced the eyeless tree beast was pulling itself from its resting place and its bramble was wrapped securely around the leg of her pants, as its tip dug into the crotch of the pants narrowly avoiding digging itself right into her frilly white panties.

"Anything is better then this!" she yelled frantically at the tree trying her hardest to pull away from the brambles and seeming to not even notice the sound of fabric tearing as her leg slipped free from the tree's grasp. But her escape had not been without cost as the tree beast was left with most of the front half of her pants, all but one leg infact. Even with her panties showing for all to see and what remained of her pants was barely holding together even in a standing position Mirela took off down a path not noticing in her haste to flee from that tree beast that she was going deeper into the forest...

Mirela tugs free and makes it six steps, before one of the tree's roots erupts from the ground with a shower of dirt, thick and gray and agile. It wraps itself jealously around her ankle and tugs firmly, pulling her right off her feet. Carelessly it drags her through the dirt, towards that gaping, eager maw and almost certain death. As soon as it's in reach, its disgusting tongue slithers out, and as close as she is the poor girl can see that it doesn't look like any human tongue at all. While certainly thick, it doesn't have an ordinary flat shape, instead maintaining a constant width throughout it's entire length and tapering off at a suspiciously rounded head. Past the over-sized head, it's lined with short, painful looking spikes.

The obscene member drips with pale, hissing saliva. It brushes against Mirela's cleavage, then laps at her collarbone. The pale fluid falls on her in thick droplets, and each time she feels a sharp, painful sting - poison! The pain however quickly fades away as her youthful skin absorbs the liquid, and its effects make her body feel... just a bit warmer.

After only briefly licking the flesh of her upper body, the tree's tongue rears back, pauses for what seems like an eternity, and then aims itself at her crotch, beginning now to move in.

Focused on her escape as she was Mirela could not take the time to look back as she heard something erupt from the dirt. That fact would make her escape shortlived it seemed as she felt something wrap about her bare ankle tugging hard and spinning her to the ground to land on her firm backside. And as she was dragged carelessly through the dirt back toward that gaping maw she yelled at the tree "Let me go you horny stick!"

Her insult seemed to have no effect however, being as soon as she was within range its disgusting tongue slithered out of that gaping maw. It was a monsterous appendage, long and incredibly thick and tapering off to a suspicously rounded head in front of rows and rows of short painful looking spikes.

With the thick gray appendage firmly wrapped around her ankle Mirela could do nothing but grimace in disgust as the disgusting member lapped against her cleavage, snapping several of the strings holding her vest together, and up to her collarbone. And as the disgusting appendage's thick saliva dripped down onto her skin the tree beast would hear a groan of pain before the substance soaked into her skin.

But even as the substance began to make her body feel slightly warmer she was not distracted from the beast's ugly appendage as it reared back for what seemed like an eternity before it moved down towards her crotch. "You aren't sticking that down there!" she yelled at the tree beast, using her free leg to kick at the bulbous head of the gruesome appendage.

Mirela's dancers body serves her well. Her swift kick is accurate and powerful, and the appendage's head caves in like a pliant stem. The tree lets out a squeal of agony, its tongue drops to the ground where it hangs lifelessly, and the root around her tightens. Thorny bramble begins wrapping itself possessively around her bare midriff, and the tree's tongue twitches. The tongue pops back into shape with a disgusting noise and begins moving again, alive again in moments. She kicks it again and again, moving her leg fast enough that none of its roots can restrain. However, the results are the same each time, and no matter how brutally her foot strikes it she can't seem to inflict even a superficial injury or do anything to improve her situation besides enrage this bizarre monstrosity.

However, if Mirela thought that her day couldn't get any more shocking, she would be proven wrong the next moment.

She could see no one, and yet she heard a voice close by, perhaps beside her very ear.

Don't be a fool! If you want to get rid of a weed... the voice is rough, powerful, and brings with it a heated breath that lightly kisses her ear. As it speaks Mirela hears what sounds like radio static, and sees currents of electricity hissing along a hulking yet indistinguishable form.

You've got to pull it out from the ground! With that proclamation the currents of electricity hiss and vanish, and an immense creature fades into being. Black fur, violent red eyes, a bull's face and horns with a body built something like a human. It's certainly a male, there's nothing concealing the immense shaft dangling between his legs. The only real way to describe him would be a minotaur. One of his hands is covered in a steel glove - or is that steel actually the beast's hand? The other brandishes a gleaming steel sword longer than Minerva would be if she lied down on her back and stretched her arms as far as they could go.

The minotaur then shoves his steel hand into the tree's gaping maw, muscles tensing as he grips something within. A moment later there's a wet, sickening crunch and the dark-furred beast wrenches his arm back out, this time clutching two red, pulsating... things, that look almost as if they were pieces of fruit. What was once the horrid tree's tongue is dangling limply from the minotaur's prize. The steel hand squeezes them into pulp, causing them to explode and splatter against the hulking warrior. Unfortunately Mirela gets the worst of it, as she was lying right under the minotaur's hand when he squeezed.

A roar erupts from the tree, though it's not wordless growl this time. NOOO! MY DIIIIICK!

The minotaur gets a cruel grin on his face, but at that moment his eyes flash to Mirela as though noticing her for the first time, filled with hate and rage. He brings his steel sword up to strike, and then sends it crashing down - severing the root that binds the innocent girl. The creature's whip-like tail flicks out, tickling her midriff even as it severs the bramble wrapping around her stomach.

A surprised look came to Mirela's face as her kick actually managed to stop the ugly appendage. The stem seemed to cave in from her powerful kick and fell to the ground limp with a cry of pain from the tree-beast. It obviously wasn't enough however as the root around her foot tightened and a thorny bramble began to work its way around her bare midriff. But that wasn't enough for the monster as the massive appendage sprang back to life with a sickening pop only to meet her foot again and again as she said "Why won't you die?!"

She thought this thing would keep coming and coming when she heard a voice saying Don't be a fool! If you want to get rid of a weed... She looked to the side and gasped as she saw currents of electricity hissing around a massive form. With another proclamation she saw the electicity hiss and vanish, and an immense creature faded into being. Looking up from her prone position she saw black fur, violent red eyes, and what could only be a bull's face and horns atop a body built like a human although incredibly massive.

"It couldn't be.....a minotaur?" she asked curiously as he stood over her, the massive shaft dangling between his legs easily visible even in the dark woods. She could see the light shining through the trees shining off a metal surface, a metal glove.... no, it was a metal hand! That wasn't even the most surprising thing as his other hand was wielding a massive sword, bigger then her and almost as big as the minotaur himself.

With the appearance of the massive minotaur the tree-beast was quickly preoccupied as the minotaur reached his hand into the tree's gaping maw and his muscles tensed powerfully, followed by a sickening crunch as the dark furred beast pulled two throbbing red orbs from within the monster. Soon enough the minotaur's metal hand crushed the two pulsating...things showering her with the remains of the disgusting objects.

The minotaur would hear her say "Gross..." and as his eyes flashed down towards her he could see bits of those remains dotting her bronzed skin. She froze for a moment as his sword rose but breathed a sigh of relief as it only severed the vine holding her and as the his whip-like tailed severed the bramble wrapped around her it also managed to snap the last cord holding her vest together. And as she pulled herself up off the ground her vest fluttered slightly giving the minotaur a quick view of her ample orbs before she said "Thanks..."

Kerith just snorts in contempt at her gratitude, turning away and readying his powerful sword - before a sight stops him. He glances back, eyes widening in time to catch the delightful eyeful that Mirela doesn't quite hide in time. There's no time for him to gawk though, as at that moment a huge club-like branch belts him across the face, sending him back a step before his large black hooves dig themselves into the earth.

And in another moment it seems like the entire forest has risen against them. Roots, branches, countless thorny bramble from every direction. Too many to escape from, certainly too many to fight. Cold steel fingers wrap themselves around Mirela's soft body and in another moment the minotaur hurls her several feet away, to a patch of ground that seems out of the tree's reach, for the moment at least.

Kerith himself however is hardly as fortunate. Thorny vines wrap around his legs - mere nuisances that snap apart every time he takes a step or even just shifts his stance. Roots come at him like staccato's and he raises his steel hand - tendrils of his own shoot out, long, steel, and indestructible, tearing his enemies appendages to ribbons. His sword meets the thick branches, he is struck several times but nonetheless Mirela is reminded of her own position just moments ago. Just as she could only anger her captor, this aberration's blows and cuts only serve to enrage the minotaur. Eventually his eyes flash and it's apparent he's had enough.

He hurls his sword through the air. It impales the tree in a shower of splinters, going clean through and leaving an exit wound that's almost enough to cut the oak creature in half.

Then he lowers his horns and charges, the attacks that were once a nuisance to him now simply ignored as his horns crash into the trunk of the tree with another shower of splinters. Still it lives, desperately flailing its branches at him in an attempt to beat back a creature even more savage than itself. He rends his horns free and then wraps his arms around the trunk, his powerful muscles rippling as he strains himself.

Just like I said. He speaks through his grunts, voice strained as he pulls despite his opponents desperate attacks. To get rid of a weed, pull up the roots!

But surely he can't.

He does.

The ground rumbles as he uproots the oak, its life-roots wriggling about helplessly now that the soil once protecting them is raining to the ground. Lifting what surely must weigh countless tons over his head, he lets out a roar and slams the tree down, splinters flying everywhere. Beneath the trunk is a sickly-green, pulsating thing, looking squishy and vulnerable in contrast to the creature's tough bark. Kerith holds out his prosthetic hand and the tendrils each dive towards the soft target, piercing it and retracting with such speed that they don't get a drop of sap on them. The wounds cause this heart to explode, and with that the creature is finally dead. The entire forest is silent.

The minotaur drops to his knees, gasping for breath.

Holding her vest down to preserve what little dignity she had left after unintentionally giving the minotaur quite the eyeful she was about to say something to warn the black furred beast but the tree-beast moved too quickly. She had no time to ask if he was ok however, as the whole forest seemed to be coming to life around them. Roots, brambles, and brances seemed to come from every direction.

And without a moments warning she felt his cold steel fingers wrapping around her soft body and she quickly asked "Hey, wait, what are you doing?!" There was no time for an anwser as those cold hands quickly sent her flying through the air. As she flew she felt the many brances and brambles tugging at what was left of her clothes and before she escaped the evil tree's grasp she felt her vest catch on a branch while she continued flying. Finally impacting the ground she rolled to absorb some of the force and after standing up Kerith would hear her gasp, even through the sounds of his fight with the tree-beast, before covering her bare chest with her arms.

That was not the end to her problems however as the abuse her pants had taken from the first bramble and the flight through the air had finally proved too much for them and the torn garment dropped down her legs, the small threads connecting shredded front and back falling to pieces, and leaving her standing near the two fighting monsters in nothing but her frilly white panties.

But even so, her situation was much better then the minotaur's. From what little she could see through the thorny vines and roots flying at the black furred minotaur like staccatos before being quickly demolished by the steel appendages of the horned beast who seemed to be protecting her. The attacks seemed to do nothing but enrange the minotaur and finally he seemed to snap, hurling his massive sword at the tree sending in clean through the beast in a shower of splinters. A charge, another shower of splinters, and finally he wrapped his bulging arms around the tree straining mightily even through the barrage of blows the desperate tree was hitting him with.

No way... she thought as she heard the tree crack but what seemed impossible happened as the monsterously strong minotaur uprooted the tree. The once powerful roots were wriggling desperately in the air before the mighty minotaur slammed the massive tree to the ground. Afterwards it was over in an instant and the forest quieted quickly. She saw the minotaur drop to his knees gasping for breath and moving over towards him she asked "You okay?"

Kerith glanced up and seemed about to offer a response but then stopped, eyes narrowing and teeth curling back into a grin at Mirela's almost completely nude body. Really. You couldn't even wait one more moment. Hah, I don't blame you! Watching me must have been quite the sight, and it's not as though you've got anything to be ashamed of. He stepped to the side, admiring her body from a different view, not really minding that she was covering her breasts. Her shapely legs, lovely skin tone, and perfect back were all enough to cause him to give the view its due admiration.

Eventually he clears his throat. That's neither here nor now. You've inhaled its spores, by nightfall you'll be in a coma, in a month you'll have a plant growing out of your womb! And then I'll have to kill one of these damn things all over again.

He smirks. Lucky for you, I've found a better way.

She looked to the side, obviously embarassed at the minotaur seeing nearly all of her body, but finally she said "Well...I guess I don't mind you seeing my body. You did save me from that tree...alien, monster, or whatever it is. But its not like I meant to take off my clothes, that tree freak did a number on them and they just fell apart. But....That really was amazing, the way you pulled that huge thing out of the ground." Her movements were excitable as she reenacted the last part of the fight, unintentionally giving the minotaur a clear view of her chest.

Her excitement faded quickly as the minotaur explained her "situation" and with a shocked expression on her face she asked "What?! I'm going to have one of those things grow out of my body?!" No matter how unbelievable the idea was she didn't seem to think he was lying. Why would she? The minotaur had only been trying to help her as of yet. So it should have been no surprise to the black furred beast when she asked "What is this better way? I don't want one of those things growing out of me."

Kerith frowns as though he were giving the matter some serious thought, although the act doesn't seem genuine, since at the same time he hasn't stopped leering at her chest since he first got a glimpse of it. Well there's the easy way. I throw you into an incinerator and with that the species is extinct. Or there's the hard way. Hard for you, not so much for me.

He stares intently at Mirela, getting a bestial glint in his eye. I managed to get my hands on the antibody, which has been integrated into my body. Absorb as much of my body fluid as you possibly can and just maybe you'll live.

As he speaks, one of the tendrils from his hand has stealthily trailed out of his hand and crept through the grass. Honestly, I intervened quickly enough that your chances of infection are less than 1%, and even a couple drops of sweat or saliva would almost certainly ensure your immunity. On the other hand...

The cold steel slithered gently up her leg, caressing her ankle as its segments gently scraped her flesh. You can't take any chances with your health, can you?