When I cut the last of the beast people down, several more entered the crypt. They were more disgusting than the rest. I was pretty sure one didn't even have skin.

  I was breathing hard, blood streaming from a dozen wounds. My bracers were missing, and one of my greaves had been torn off. I couldn't feel the toes in my right foot. My shield arm was numb from the constant impacts.

  But I was standing.

  I leveled my sword at them. "You next?"

  They all hesitated. Their eyes gleamed in the dim light. I could see the same thing behind their eyes. They were afraid.

  Good.

  They attacked my home. They attacked my people. Countless templefolk were displaced. People died. My lover was at the edge of death, barely a mile away. I didn't even know if she was alive.

  They should be afraid.

  I'd cut down every one of the disgusting things. Then I'd come for Baelgrim. Devon, too. The whole goddamn cult.

  Fuck them.

  Not wavering an inch, I kept my sword leveled at them. The creatures bleeted and chattered at one another, clearly unsure of what to do. One of the things shook its head, its fellow stamping its feet in response.

  I took a step forward. "Come on. Bring it. I can do this all day." I channeled some of my inner Captain America, speaking English for the first time in almost two years. It felt good.

  They looked at one another. Then, one by one, they exited the crypt. A moment later, I was alone. Only then did I lower my sword.

  Had they given up?

  My vision swam. My legs nearly gave out. That was a pure bluff. I literally couldn't believe it worked.

  The sounds of the creatures calling to one another up on the surface bounced down the staircase. Others called back. It sounded like an argument. A creature screamed, then silence fell over the crypt.

  Reaching into my belt pouch, I pulled out the potion I'd found with the equipment. It was the last of the red healing salves. Maven had hooked me up.

  Slinging my shield over my shoulder and sheathing my sword, I uncorked the vial. I poured the red stuff into my hands and waited for the glow. When it happened, I rubbed the stuff all over my... everything. I was bleeding between basically every gap in my armor, so it really didn't matter. Relief flooded my body as the stuff began to work. Blood dried, then flecked off in thick flakes.

  That would hold me over for a bit.

  When the glow faded, I drew my sword and shield again. Calls from above told me another push was coming. A low, rumbling growl sounded from up the staircase. Another monster screamed. Something crashed down the steps, and a monster's broken body tumbled into the crypt, its body broken, its head torn clean off. This one definitely didn't have skin.

  Another growl sounded from the stairs. It made the hairs on my neck stand up. Something heavy was walking down the stairs. A chant started up above, the other creatures cheering whatever was coming on. I gripped my sword tightly. I had this.

  Then, it appeared.

  A massive bull-headed monster, easily eight feet tall, with shoulders twice as broad as mine, pulled itself into the crypt. Its chest was a nightmare of exposed ribs and pulsing organs. Some kind of thick, translucent tissue covered the maw that was its chest, but there were holes in it. Thick black blood oozed from the openings, steaming onto the floor.

  Its eyes found mine. Its bull lips pulled back into a smile. Its lips parted. Its long pink tongue lolled out of its mouth, spilled thick strands of drool onto the floor. Then, it spoke: "You killer. Kill many. Worthy. Human. What name?"

  "Alex." I leveled my sword at it. "Yours?"

  The creature shook its head. "Uh..." It cocked its massive head. "My... name... was... no remember."

  I felt fire rise up in me. A number of conflicting emotions bubbled up out of the flames. As much as I hated to admit it, and as much loathing as I felt for these things, I knew that they'd once been people. The monster in the forest proved it. I hated them, but I also felt rage them. They were victims, too. "Try. Try to remember."

  It grunted, its long tongue lolling as it thought. "Ja... Heim..."

  "Your name was Jaheim?"

  "Yes."

  "Jaheim. When you were human, who were you? What were you?" I needed another minute. If I could keep it speaking, I'd catch a second wind. Hopefully.

  The monster grunted. "Jaheim... knight... served... Lady... Sophia... Escaped... Made... Thad... ri... an... Proud..."

  Thadrian? Then this man was... So much hate exploded in my heart. I'd cut Sophia's uncle down with my own two hands. "Did you know Dainar and Lucan, too?"

  "Friends... You know?"

  "I am Lady Sophia's champion. She's entrusted her life to me."

  The monster's eyes widened. "She... Alive?"

  I nodded. "She is. She's alive and safe, far from here."

  The monster's eyes filled with tears. Then, it reared its massive head back and roared. Its beastial voice echoed in the crypt, the pain and relief as clear to me as the sky on a cloudless day. Its lungs shrank as he bellowed, until they were little more than large prunes. Only then did his cry end. He lowered his head and looked back down at me. "I Jaheim. You Alex. Alex wor... thy. Alex fight Jaheim."

  A familiar voice spoke in my mind.

  Nodding, I threw the borrowed sword onto one of the bodies in the crypt. Drawing Embermist, I flourished with the blade, feeling its familiar, perfect weight as it cut through the air. Lifting it between my eyes, I saluted. "I'd be honored, Jaheim."

  The monster bowed. "No here. Surface. Come." He thrust its snout toward the stairs, turned, and pulled itself back through the opening and up the stairs.

  As it disappeared, I followed. Using the bodies as a bridge, I quickly found myself on the other side of the crypt, then on the stairs. With every step, the calls of the monsters above become clearer.

  As I hit the top step, I saw that the door to the surface had been torn free. Outside, I could make out the first light of dawn. In the middle of the clearing outside, where Lady Varga had been floating hours before, stood Jaheim. A small crowd of misshapen things surrounded him.

  Taking a deep breath, I gripped my sword and shield tightly and exited the crypt.

  "Alex worthy!" Jaheim shouted at the others. "We fight! If any attack, they die. I fight... alone!" The bullman roared, circling to face each of the dozen-or-so monsters left. Each withered when he turned to them. All but a wolfman, nearly as tall and broad as Jaheim. That one glared at the bullman with murder in its eyes, but it didn't move to challenge him.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The nearest of the monsters scampered away as I approached. Stepping within twenty feet of Jaheim, I said, "Jaheim. I'm going to set you free."

  The bullman turned to me. "You try." Without warning, it grabbed the nearest of its smaller allies by the neck, broke the pitiful creature's spine in a single twist of his wrist, and hurled the body at me.

  [Eagle's Swiftness]

  I barely managed to dodge as the corpse sailed past, smashing into the wall behind me. Its blood sprayed across my side and back.

  The remaining monsters scurried backward, out of reach of me or the massive monster.

  The bullman stamped its feet, lowered its head, and charged.

  My blood singing with adrenaline, and my self-preservation shot, I set my stance and waited.

  [Blood Drinker III]

  [Heart Seeker III]

  [Swift Killer III]

  [Devouring Flames IV]

  Embermist exploded in reddish-purple flames. Lifting Ennel's shield in front of me, I set Embermist against it. The purplish flames crackled where they touched the shield. The monsters whooped and cried as Jaheim charged.

  Ten feet.

  Five feet.

  Three feet.

  I tightened every muscle in my body. Embermist caught Jaheim in the center of his skull. The blade sliced through his bone like it was butter. A plume of smoke hit me. A millisecond later, I felt like I got hit by a train.

  Jaheim's entire bulk slammed into me. A wicked crack sounded from my shoulder. Ennel's shield slammed into my chest. The air tore from my lungs. My feet lost the ground. I saw the purple sky. Then my feet. The sky. My feet. Dirt.

  Someone groaned.

  Then, black.

  ***

  I tasted blood in my mouth and dust on my tongue. Every breath was shallow. My ribs screamed at me. My arm screamed louder.

  A deep voice was shouting nearby. "Jaheim is dead! I am the leader now!"

  Shouting and cheers.

  Opening my eyes, I saw nothing but dirt. Smelled it. Tasted it.

  With everything I had, I pushed myself onto my knees. But that was as far as I would go. I couldn’t move.

  Looking up, I saw that the wolfman was standing above Jaheim. The bullman... no, the knight was face down in the dirt, his skull exposed. Embermist's flames smoldered around his exposed skull, the blade buried to the hilt in his skull.

  The wolfman was shouting at the others, gesturing wildly, its words incoherent, more animal than man. Its fellows were devolving into a whooping, screeching mess. With a howl, the wolfman reached down and tried to tear Embermist free, but the second his fingers touched its hilt, his hand ignited. The others cried out and rushed away as the wolfman jumped backward.

  His morale-building ruined, the beastman called out, turned, and pointed at me. That's when his golden wolf eyes met mine. His lips pulled back in a snarl. "This one killed Jaheim!" The creature took a step toward me.

  A series of cautious whoops sounded around him.

  With a snarl, he thrust his hands into the air. "I'll tear him limb from limb and eat his entrails! Then, you lot can have the remains!"

  That got the creatures shrieking again.

  I tried to stand, to move, to do anything, but I couldn't. This was it, huh? After everything, I was going to die here.

  The wolfman growled, the sound vibrating the ground. With every step, I saw my death approach. A final thought came to me. I spoke. "My sword." My ribs creaked. I tasted blood.

  The wolfman stopped.

  "My sword. Let me die with it."

  The wolfman laughed, but a series of angry calls took its smile away. He looked away from me and toward the others. Chattering calls sounded around him. He grunted in response. Stepping back, he reached down, tore Embermist from Jaheim's skull, and threw it at me. Embermist must have sensed my intent, because it didn't burn him this time. It skittered to my knees.

  Spinning to the others, the creature held its arms out wide. "Let none of you say that Volker is a coward or that he does not show honor. The man may die with his sword in hand!" Turning back to me, the wolfman snarled. "But that is the last honor this man will receive."

  Taking Embermist into my hands, I took as deep a breath as I could and readied myself.

  Taking a single step, the wolfman smiled. "Time to die, human."

  Then, something moved in the corner of my eye. I turned. Something glinted in the trees.

  One of the creatures shrieked and clutched at its throat. An arrow had buried itself to the fletching in its neck. Another arrow. This one struck a creature's eye. A flask flew end over end. Where it landed, thick green goo erupted, covering everything.

  "Boy!" Farvad?

  Shouting sounded from the trees. People poured out of the forest and into the clearing.

  "Alex!" Na-Ya entered the clearing to my right. She raised her hand. Pure white light poured off of her fingertips, raced across the clearing, and struck me. A globe of white light flickered to life around me.

  [Spell Eater]

  Embermist consumed the light. It's pommel gem pulsed with bright red light.

  [Greater Heal]

  White flames exploded from the pommel gem and consumed me. My bones in my chest cracked. My shoulder snapped back into place. My neck cracked. I hadn't even realized it was injured.

  It all hurt. It all hurt a lot. But, when the flames faded, I didn't hesitate. I grabbed Ennel's shield, tightened my grip on Embermist, and stood. Pointing my blade at the confused wolfman, I said, "I'm going to set you free, too."

  The creature howled and leapt forward.

  Lifting Ennel's shield, I waited for the collision, but it never came. A shadow streaked through the air. Something slammed into the creature's side with such force that the beast actually staggered backward, bellowing in pain and confusion. Thick gashes opened along its face.

  It shrieked at swiped at the black shadow, but the thing was too fast. It landed on the ground and snarled. Like a giant cat, it bunched up on its thick back legs and pounced. Before the beastman could react, the cat thing sank its fangs into the wolf's shoulder. Landing on the man's chest, it raked its back legs, opening wicked gashes up on his chest and stomach.

  The wolfman screamed—long, guttural, pained.

  [Devouring Flames IV]

  Reddish-purple flames exploded from Embermist's blade, and I charged.

  The wolfman tore the cat monster away, but before he could recover, I slashed. Embermist took his arm off. Rearing back, the cat pounced again and bit into his neck. He howled and reached backward.

  I cut his torso open.

  Doubling over, he held his stomach as tendrils spilled from his belly. They writhed like snakes. "No more!"

  I didn't let up. There was no pity left in me. Nor was there any in my companion. The cat monster on his back raked again and again, tearing his back apart. When the wolfman threw it off, the cat doubled over and continued to press. Embermist found his knee, his thigh, his shoulder. Wherever I wasn't, the cat monster was. The two of us cut and carved, ducked and leapt.

  We were one.

  With a pitiful whimper, the wolfman fell to the ground. "You..." Its head lifted, its golden eyes meeting mine. "You should have died by my hand.

  Snarling, the cat monster darted forward, latched onto his throat, and twisted, tearing his throat out in a single movement. The wolfman gurgled as it slumped to the ground, dead.

  I stepped back. With a quick glance, I saw that my friends had finished off the other creatures. That left only this one. Lowering Embermist to the cat monster, I said, "Friend or foe?" That's why I noticed its paws.

  They looked like hands.

  And on its left hand was a platinum ring with an onyx in the center.

  The monster chuffed, then leaped at me. Letting go of sword and shield, I let myself fall backward, wrapping my arms around the mass of black fur as I fell. Before I hit the ground, the cat's body rippled and twisted. The second my back hit dirt, a small green figure was nestling into my neck. I pulled her tight, squeezing until her ribs bent.

  "You dumbass" Vral's voice murmured in my neck. "How could you run off and fight without me?"

  I laughed and kissed the top of her head. "You weren't exactly in fighting condition."

  She scoffed. "Yeah, well, smack me around until I am next time." She pushed against my chest so she could look into my eyes. "Do you have any idea how hot it was watching you square off against the bull guy?"

  "You saw that?"

  She nodded. "Yeah."

  "And you didn't help?"

  "And ruin your moment? Hell no. Way too hot." Her red eyes fluttered, her cheeks reddening. "Plus, we needed an opening."

  I chuckled. "I'm glad you think so. That hurt like hell."

  She grinned. "That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. That things to me."

  "Easy for you to say!" I reached up and wrapped my hand around her neck. Pulling her downward, our lips met. She kissed me hungrily, our tongues fighting for dominance.

  When she finally pushed away, both of us were panting, and her eyes were wild with lust. "We need to stop." She pushed up until she was straddling me. Wiping her forehead with her hand, she said, "Otherwise, the others are going to get a show."

  I sat up. Grabbing her face with my hands, I tried to pull her lips back to mine. However, before our lips could meet, she put her hand on my face and shoved me away.

  "Not now, dummy. You have no idea how close I am to..." She grinned. "We need to be good. For now."

  "Fine, fine." Grabbing her hand, I kissed her fingers. That's when I noticed her right hand was back. "Vral! Your arm!" I took her hand in mine and kissed every inch of her arm. "I was so worried! I thought you might..." I couldn't say it. "And here you are, no worse for the wear!"

  As I kissed every inch of her arm, she giggled, a massive smile splitting her face. Slowly, she pulled her arm away from me. "Oh, this old thing?" She held her arm in front of me. "Not bad, huh?"

  Her arm was green up to the elbow, just like it always had been. But, starting right after the elbow, her skin changed color, shifting from her natural green to deep black. The veins in her arm were far more pronounced, and her hand ended in sharp black claws. "How?"

  "By using every damn herb in my shop, that's how!" Farvad's voice sounded from behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Farvad was standing a few feet away, hands on his hips. The old gnome had tied a headband around his head and was wearing a bandolier filled with over a dozen potions. He looked like Rambo, if Rambo were an aging gnome alchemist.

  "Is it permanent?"

  He nodded. "With a few more infusions, it will be. In time, that new arm of hers will even match! Well, mostly. Kind of. Maybe. If the Goddess wills it."

  Turning back to Vral, I stroked her cheek. Overwhelmed with emotion, I said, "You know I love you, right?"

  "Of course you do. How could you not? Have you seen me?" She smirked, but her eyes were swimming.

  I wrapped my hand around her neck and pulled her lips back to mine. This time, she didn't resist.