This is death… At last, some peace.

  A clawed hand smacked into his face, once, and again. Slowly, he opened his eyes. A clear, dark sky met his gaze, the moonlight giving rise to a dark figure kneeling over him, casting an indistinguishable silhouette.

  “Good, he’sss awake.”

  The figure rose to his feet, revealing a sleek body covered in dark leather armour. Even his helmet, which revealed his sharp and slightly pale facial features from forehead to chin looked to be of the same material. The figure lowered an exceptionally long arm and unfurled obsidian claws.

  Terror gripped him. His death must have led him to the underworld of demons and chaos. Corruption at its purest…

  He shrank away, arms whipping up to shield him from the demon, fumbling until he was upright and better able to defend himself.

  “Remain calm, I won’t harm you!” The figure’s voice was the roughness of a forced whisper. It was then that he noticed the thin, forked tongue slip out and disappear back into his mouth.

  “By the Gods” he whispered.

  It spoke… and he understood it.

  “Did you get a name?”

  The deep voice came from a single source of torchlight, a ways off. The figure in dark leather turned while his skin shimmered ever so slightly in the moonlight. A long tail rippled out from behind him.

  Horror struck again as he realized he wasn’t wearing any armour at all. Black scales coated the figure, his lengthy arms ending with curved, deadly claws and his legs much the same. A smooth face and torso were all that was free of the scales and the figure’s yellow eyes were slitted vertically, like a serpent. He wore only a long, grey cloak with the hood draped around his wide shoulders. His head was elongated with a blunt crest protruding from the back. An unholy mutation of man and serpentine beast.

  Numbness crept into his limbs and he became light-headed. He tried to blink away the blurriness in his eyes and thought he caught a glimpse of a giant ape approaching through the moonlight. A familiar heat washed over him and he dropped to his hands and knees, retching onto the soft grass and watching it soak into the earth until more took its place.

  “There it is!” came the deep, booming voice once more. A gruff chuckle followed.

  The feeling of dread would not die. It radiated within him, seeming to grow as it gorged upon his sanity. Eternity in Enzekkar’s realm. He retched once more. Demons and flames, scorched earth and… grass? Soft grass… He dug into the earth, closing around fistfuls of soft, green grass. What? If not hell, then where? And how? Did hell have grass?

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  “You’re in luck,” said the serpent man. “Many would relish the sssummoning of a new sssoldier in their proximity. We, however, harbour no sssuch designsss.”

  The convulsions soon ended and he breathed heavily, confused by the creature’s words. “My name is Iksssani,” the serpent pointed to the large ape-man holding the torch. “Thisss is Virgil. What might we call you?”

  Another wave of nausea arose and the dizziness threatened once more. He tried to find his voice but all he could manage was a croak. “Jh… shaan…”

  “Shaan, huh?” came Virgil’s haughty reply. “Fine looking weapons you’ve got there.”

  He rose to his feet, taking a moment to stabilize himself before gaining his bearings… and nearly collapsed again when he realized he was completely naked. He scrambled to cover himself, to no avail. As his gaze darted every which way to locate the clothing he had on moments earlier, he noticed his two black swords lying exposed some feet away.

  A hearty laugh escaped the big ape-man and he gestured reassuringly. “It’s alright, happens to us all upon arrival. The lack of clothing, I mean.” His red, bushy brows furrowed as he glanced once more at the two blades splayed on the ground. “That, however, is something of note…”

  “Peculiar, indeed.” Iksani muttered. The serpent-man took a step towards the weapons. “If I may asssk, how did you come to possesssssuch a thing?”

  Although naked, he made ready to scramble for the weapons but Virgil quickly raised a massive arm in reassurance. “All in good time, Iksi,” the husky man promised. His mane of red hair swung loosely across his shoulders. Massive, hairy shoulders.

  There was a clear view of him now; his entire upper frame had fur to match the deep crimson of his head. Only a small area of his chest and abdomen remained bare. “What do you say we get him clothed and fed first.” Virgil gave him a reassuring nod. “No doubt you have questions, as do we, but that can wait.” Virgil turned his head and waved behind him. “Our settlement is a short walk from here. Jasper should arrive any moment with a fresh load of clothing. What do you say we have a drink and explain a few things. Best we can, at least.”

  He peered past Virgil and saw more firelight in the distance, encompassed by several small huts. Jasper soon arrived and he was relieved to see that he was a regular man like himself, albeit several years younger. Jasper stood slightly taller than him and had a much fairer complexion with short, brown hair and a physique to match any blacksmith he’d ever known; broad shoulders and thick arms.

  He was handed a shirt, a belt, breeches and leather shoes. He wasted no time dressing to reclaim his dignity. Once done, he gathered the swords.

  “Excellent,” Virgil stated. “Seems a pleasant night for a walk, at least.”

  “Ssspeak for yourssself,” Iksani retorted. “Chilly as alwaysss!” With that, he took off at a brisk pace towards the settlement. Virgil chuckled to himself as he and Jasper trailed after the serpent-man.

  He hesitated, finally taking in the sparse trees and foliage surrounding him. Left naked in a field. Was this magic? The work of the Gods? Or had he been slain in battle?

  Yes… the war. He remembered the chaos, blades and axes every which way, arrows flying overhead. And then darkness.

  “If you need a moment,” Virgil had turned back with a look of mild sympathy. “We will wait for you by the fire pit.”

  “How did you find me?”

  Virgil sighed. “When one arrives, there is a heavy wind accompanied by a sharp flash of light. The trees shook enough to scatter a large group of bug-bats.”

  “Bug… bats?”

  Virgil continued. “After that, we followed Iksi’s tongue.”