The crashing of the waves had long since left them as the river widened over twice the size and became a stagnant, slow-flowing water highway for the travelers to descend southward. The sounds of frogs, crickets, and cicadas filled the air with the awkward ‘plop’ of fish grabbing a quick meal on the still surface of the river.

  The air was filled with the stench of algae. Trees lined the banks either side, the gaps filled in with tall grass that swayed in a sporadic breeze. The sun beamed down between the sparse clouds above, causing Azandrae to wipe her forehead as she manned the steam engine, making sure they kept chugging on downstream.

  Her eyes scanned the man before her, if she could call him a man. He didn’t move a single muscle since he boarded the skiff. He just sat there, the sun beaming into his bck armor, not even one glint or reflection, not even off his axe that sat straddled across his p. He showed no signs of discomfort from the heat. No sweat, no adjusting himself in his seat. He was enigmatic down to the exact definition.

  She tried to find some sort of clues from his existence, wherever he came from. Small skulls were csped here and there, a rger one on his belt buckle. There was nothing of note across his armor.

  Her eyes met with his and she looked away, scanning the riverbank to avoid his gaze. A shiver sprinkled down her spine. The chill was welcome on such a hot day.

  She decided to rummage through a pack next to her seat while the waters were calm. She found some dried meats, tins of food, and a waterskin. Some clothes, a pipe, and an old rusty revolver were also id about inside.

  Azandrae took the water skin and began chugging the water down, feeling it quench the dryness of her mouth. She lowered the waterskin and held it out to Rigor, “You want some? It’s a hot day.”

  He sat there in silence. The sounds of nature filling in for his ck of speech.

  She took another swig, setting down the waterskin. She gnced to her left excitedly, “Oh, see those mountains there. Mah vilge was nestled in a valley on the other side. We were mostly runaway sves from the before times. We found a pce to live in peace with each other. It was small, but everyone was friendly. We farmed crops, raised animals, and had rge dinners together every night at the grand table in our vilge square. It was made by Mathias, our local carpenter. Funny guy, always getting into arguments with my mom.”

  Her voice trailed off as her eyes dropped to the river below. She pyed with the water skin for a moment, sucking in a sniffle, “My mother oversaw mending people back together. Arms, legs, even a head or two, she sewed them back together and made sure people worked like normal, sometimes even better than normal. She was always amazing. It was a small paradise.” She smiled as she gazed off at the mountains, peaceful memories filling her head. The early mornings making meals for the workers, and the te nights reading stories with her mother, those of Samdei always filled her with the most wonder and dread. Her mother always comforting her, saying they were just stories made up to teach lessons.

  But now, she sat across from one of Samdei’s own. There was no denying it. He had brought death to this world once again. It was truly something to behold.

  She snapped from her thoughts and turned back to Rigor, “What about you? Where are you from? Any happy stories that don’t involve killing?”

  He sat in silence. His white milky eyes just staring at her.

  “You got parents? Brothers or sisters?”

  Silence.

  She squirmed in her seat, shifting her posture under his gaze. There was something she wished to ask him that was slowly eating away at the back of her mind. Courage.

  She straightened up, clearing her throat, “What about the Death God? Samdei? What’s he like?” She stared back at him now, their eyes meeting.

  Rigor shifted, just barely, but enough for her to notice. He took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure what he was going to do, what he would sound like, or if anything at all would happen.

  Rigor stood instantly, axe in hand. The boat rocked vigorously.

  “Whoa, I didn’t mean to insult ya.” She held her hand out towards him, the other grabbing the edge of the skiff, fear creeping up her spine with a shiver.

  His head whipped to the left and the skiff jolted upwards several feet, spshing down hard in the water. Azandrae dropped to the bottom of the skiff, smashing her shoulder. Something smashed against the bottom of the skiff, something big.

  “What in hell is that?” She grabbed the side of the skiff, peering over the edge. The water was still, save for the waves pping out from the skiff crashing down. She couldn’t see anything amongst the algae, but there was something down there.

  She gasped as the boat lifted into the air a dozen feet, sending Rigor and Azandrae flying with it. As they tumbled through the air, Azandrae saw what was causing the mess they were caught in. Her heart seized in terror.

  A massive, green-scaled reptilian monster was below them, its jaws open wide in a massive maw of teeth and pink flesh, the bck void to its stomach deep in its throat. The alligator thrashed out of the water, trying to snap at her in the air, missing her narrowly as she plummeted to the river below. Its thick, rotten breath could be felt on her face.

  She closed her eyes tight as she spshed down into the water. Her hand frantically searching for her knife as her legs kicked to push her to the surface. Something hard and scaly rubbed past her in the water. She let out a yelp, bubbles pushing to the surface ahead of her.

  Her head burst from the river. She wiped her eyes, her knife held ahead of her as she tried to tread water and stay afloat. She didn’t see the alligator or the Death Knight anywhere, but the skiff was a few feet away from her, tipped over. It’s hull an isnd sanctuary in a death-bound river with a terrifying monster.

  She swam as hard as she could, her shoulder throbbing with pain each rotation. She thought of being stuck in an alligator’s stomach, slowly being digested, burned alive by stomach acids for God knows how long until she was a pile of goop. She pushed the thoughts away, paddling as fast as she could.

  The boat at st. Her arms spped up as far as she could reach, using the st of her strength to pull herself up. Water dripped all about her. She y on the skiff’s hull slick with water and algae. She turned, looking around with her knife out, scanning the water for movement.

  Deep, bored breaths rocked her lungs. Where was the bck knight? Had he sunk to the bottom of the river? Did the gator nab him for a snack? Her arm moved back and forth at any slight movement, pointing her small knife like it would save her from the beast.

  Behind her, the river erupted water into the air. She whipped around to see the massive gator with the Death Knight in its jaws. It thrashed him about, turning side to side, plowing Rigor through the water. It then started twisting, spinning in the water, revolving Mortis in and out, upside down, left to right.

  Rigor took his axe in both hands, letting the gator bite deep into his armor. He sshed down on the gator’s head with all his might, the axe cut down across its right eye.

  The gator let loose a deep, prehistoric roar, tossing Rigor high in the air. He tumbled about the air yet again, tumbling around, water misting all about him, his arms filing to gain bance.

  The gator sunk into the water as Mortis plunged down to the river. Azandrae watched in horror as the alligator burst forth again, its maw wide open, ready for an easy meal.

  Rigor Mortis plunged deep into its jaws, disappearing into its engorged belly, embracing the bck abyss inside.

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