Chapter 3: Into the Fire

The staff shoved in my face swirls with cinder and bits of ash that makes my nose twitch. I put my hands up to show I mean no harm. I didn't just survive the goblin-pocalypse to get roasted alive! Now that I look at her closely I notice a couple things. She looks to be somewhere in her twenties but it’s hard to tell. Her brown skin is so incredibly smooth, it's as if she’s never even heard of acne. long flowy white hair cascades down her shoulders. Even though her eyes burn with hatred, they’re still mesmerizing. I thought it was my imagination at first but they’re actually ruby red! Her clothes are strange too. She looks like she just leaped out of a fantasy novel. Dark green robes and an almost comically large wizard’s hat. They’re barely visible but I can also see her very long pointed ears peeking out from under it. I glance over at the lizard person then back to the girl that has me at “staffpoint”. She shoves it closer to my face and yells.

“Enough tricks monster! You said just now that your name wasn't Vergil! And that magic armor, he can't do anything like that! Confess! You possessed him!”

I start to get a little annoyed as the staff burns my chin.

“Ouch! I never said I was this Vergil guy! I don't even know how I got here!”

The lizard person squats down next to me. It’s unnerving seeing my reflection in their slitted yellow eyes. I see the reflection of a face that doesn't belong to me. rough cut brown hair, different nose, about 10 years younger. I’m thoroughly confused, which is exactly what you don't want to be while being interrogated.

“Listen, I want to help you out here. Clearly I’m not a threat. I helped you guys right? I'm just as lost as you are. I don't know who’s body this is and I sure as hell didn't steal it!”

The girl scoffs. The lizard person rubs their chin. They examine me closely, even sniff the air around me.

“I don't know Rina. He doesn't seem like he’s lyin.”

The girl, who I guess is called Rina, scowls. I see her crimson eyes start to glisten. Her voice is thick with sorrow.

“This doesn’t make any sense! I thought I brought him back. He’d only been dead a minute or so.” Her voice cracks.

I feel bad for her. She must’ve been close with this Vergil guy.

The stink of the charred goblin bodies reaches my nostrils. This place wreaks, it's dark, and it’s absolutely freezing here without the fireballs flying around. I look around for any signs of an exit. I don't see one.

“Where is this place? Are we underground?” I ask as I try to sit up a little.

Rina pushes me back down with the flaming stick.

“Don't move! I swear I’ll turn you into a soot stain, you lich!”

“Sorry, what did you call me?”

I’m not offended, I’ve genuinely never heard that word before.

The Lizard person pokes at me with a clawed finger.

“I guess he could be a lich. Stole Vergil’s body once he died. Maybe we should fry him just to be safe.”

“Whoa whoa whoa! I’m not a lich! I don't even know what that is! I’m trying to tell you I don't know how I got here! I was in the middle of the street and then-”

Everything goes fuzzy. My brain hurts trying to remember the details past that point. It's just flashes in static. Pain, whiteness, a voice, wings maybe?

“If you really are innocent in this, then you’ll let us restrain you and we’ll take you back to the church in town. Kizzik, grab the rope out of my bag.”

The lizard person, (What kind of name is Kizzik?) obliges and starts binding my arms behind my back.

“Whatever you want” I shrug “as long as you can get me out of here. I need to figure out where I am.”

“If I find out you’re lying, I won't hesitate to cremate you.” she says.

A shiver runs down my spine. I fully believe her words.

They let me get to my feet and we start down a path away from the goblin mess. The tunnel is fairly wide. As we take a few staircases up, I notice some things. The walls look very old and worn down. There's vines growing through them in some places. I see some branching paths as we walk that seem to go on forever.

“How big is this place? What’s it used for?”

Rina stays quiet. She walks behind me ready to blast my head off at a moment’s notice. Kizzik is a little more chatty.

“You’ve never seen a dungeon before? This one’s pretty small compared to other ones we been in.”

“A dungeon?”

“Yeah, I guess some people call ‘em labyrinths too, but it's all the same thing. Monsters, traps, treasure. You seen one, you seen ‘em all.” Kizzik says.

My brain starts piecing the little bits of information together. Magic, elves, goblins, lizard people? Now I learn that I’m actually in a dungeon? I’m almost certain. This is some kind of fantasy world! I’ve seen some movies and things about this kind of stuff but it's never been my favorite genre. I’m more of a sci-fi guy. MechaForce is a personal favorite. Still, the more important question is how? This makes less than no sense! I’d say it's all a dream but it feels a little more like a nightmare. Especially the scary elf girl that is waiting for the smallest reason to turn me to charcoal. I try again to think back on how I got here. Maybe there’s a way back. I try my hardest to push past the static. Further back. I remember Shino shouting at me, then running out into the street. I think maybe a horn honking. There was a car. Yeah! A yellow sports car! After that it’s blank…

Wait a second! Did I get run over?! That’s usually how these things go after all, right?! Some poor schlub gets pancaked on a busy road, then gets reincarnated in some epic fantasy world? I hang my head in sorrow.

“Ooh no. No no no.” I groan.

“What’s wrong? Gotta use the bathroom or something?” The lizard person asks.

“Just forget it.” What am I supposed to do now? I didn't even get to see Mari before I… There's gotta be a way to fix this. If this really is a world with magic, there has to be some kind of spell to send me back! Yeah, sounds easy enough. I’ll get them to send me back then everything will be back to normal… Wait, I think Shino actually fired me before I got hit. Whatever, I’ll figure it out.

We round a corner and I can finally see daylight up ahead. I just need to get out of this stinking dungeon and find someone who can help.

“Remember, no funny stuff.” Kizzik flashes one of their daggers and a dangerous smile at me.

We walk through a large archway into the open and I’m immediately blinded by sunlight. My eyes slowly adjust and I feel fresh air replace the stagnate stuff in my lungs. A cool breeze dances around us. We are standing on a hillside and the view is nothing short of breathtaking. Rolling grassy fields, arching trees, vibrant green vegetation is everywhere. The scene makes my heart skip a beat. As I look down toward the bottom of the hill, I see a crystal blue river cutting through the landscape and I’m suddenly very aware how dry my mouth is.

“Can we stop there and get some water maybe?”

Rina shoves me with her stick. I have to steady myself so I don't go tumbling down the hillside.

“We don't have time for detours. Besides, undead don't get thirsty.”

I grit my teeth. My patience is starting to wear out. “Don't shove me. I can walk just fine.”

We lock eyes as the anger boils between us. What the hell is her problem?!

Kizzik steps in to break the tension between us.

“I’m feelin a bit thirsty myself. Let's take a break before we head back into town Rina. We got him tied up, he ain't gonna do anything.”

We glare at each other for just a bit longer before she sighs. She rubs her temples in frustration.

“Okay fine. 10 minutes then we’re back on the road. You’ll have to figure out how to drink while you're bound.”

She marches ahead before I can retort.

I dunk my head into the stream and drink deeply. I’ve never been this thirsty in my life! The water is shockingly cold and delicious. Kizzik has to hold onto me so I don't fall in. I’m down there for a good thirty seconds before I come back up for air.

“Whew! Thanks! I needed that!”

Kizzik chuckles a bit. “You might not be undead but you’re definitely part fish now.”

“Speaking of that, I don't want to be rude but… What exactly are you? You’re not human right?”

The lizard person looks stunned for a moment. Then they roar with laughter. It actually takes them a second to gain their composure.

“Do-do I look human to you? Some squishy pink narcissistic thing? Nah, I'm Laczerta. The Tegu tribe specifically.”

I feel more than a little embarrassed but I continue asking questions. “And her? What is she?” I motion towards Rina.

“Elven obviously! You really don’t know anything do you?” Kizzik studies me again like I’m some strange creature.

I shake my head. “You can tell I’m not lying can't you?”

Kizzik takes a swig from their canteen and shrugs.

“Lying’s easy to sniff out if you’re familiar with the scent.”

I lay down on the soft grass of the river bank.

“Elves huh. Interesting.”

I look up at a cloudless blue sky above me. It's bigger and more vast than any sky I’ve ever seen before. I feel like it's going to swallow me up if I stare too long. It's a strange sensation to be here. This world is alien to me but somehow I feel… solid. As I lay by the river, I think of all that's happened in the last few hours. I know a few things for sure. This place is amazing, but if I'm not careful, it’ll kill me.