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Perilous Jack knows that Dwarves value courage and strength above all else; he is less certain that they will approve of his use of a magic potion for this contest.

He is equally uncertain what effect the Potion of Earth Body will have. Perhaps he ought to have asked when he purchased the potion from Victorinox. In any case, he has chosen his path. Jack downs the Potion of Earth Body in one hasty gulp and braces himself for anything.

The potion takes effect immediately. Jack’s muscles begin to bulge and harden; his limbs begin to lengthen and his torso expands. Too late, it dawns on him that a sudden change of size may threaten his equipment. Before he can react, his body nearly doubles in size. His armor and clothing are torn to shreds and the Seven League Boots burst, forever ruining their enchantment. A greater disaster still: when his belt bursts, the Pouch of Ghrul goes sailing over the edge of the stone ledge and vanishes into the darkness below.

Jack is now a juggernaut of stone, fully twice his original size. His muscles are hard as the blocks on which he stands. There is no doubt that he is easily the equal of the Earth Elemental, but his quest is over. The Frost Potion, the Magic Beans, and every other treasure and tool that would have helped Jack rescue Princess Vasilisa from the Cloud Giant are now lost.

The Dwarves shout and clamor around him, and he can make out snatches of their conversation – jeers and laughter, outraged cries, and suggestions that now Clan Oakstump has a new pet guardian.

Perhaps the Dwarves are right. Perhaps he will live a long and useful life as a massive stone monster, a companion of the Dwarves, or perhaps he will wander the earth in search of Victorinox the Dwarf, in the hopes that the creator of this curse can reverse it.

But there is no doubt that for this adventure at least, this is  . . .

 

THE END.

 

Return to 1 and begin the quest again.