Snooze had reached the rocky floor of the valley just as the horde of… let’s call them Zuzumen (like horsemen, but… with Zuzu) arrived. They slammed their steeds to a halt around a hundred feet from the god at the motion of Twick’s raised hand. Clouds of noxious dust had been kicked up in their wake, and even though they had stopped, the plume of stink continued forward, wafting right into Snooze’s face, momentarily obscuring her view and her breath. She batted at the mist, choking a touch and trying to disperse it as best as she could. However, it took longer than she anticipated and once the dust had finally settled, quite literally, she found the whole of the small army of baddies had all focused on her.

 

The entire group of warriors glared, save for Twick, who was smiling. Snooze glanced around quickly.

 

Where is the Second?

 

Snooze couldn’t see her anywhere. Sure, she had taken her time carefully descending the cliff face--after making a certain decision on her tactic--using the secret paths that Rekvahn had led them up the first time, but she had made sure to keep a careful watch for the approaching group.

 

Ah, fiddlesuck! This complicates things.

 

No one moved, least of all Snooze. In fact, she was trying desperately not to cough as the dust from the group’s expedient arrival had started to irritate her avatar lungs--and she didn’t want to appear weak in front of the bad guys. So, tears rimming her eyes, she focused an immense amount of will towards relaxing her itching throat, and the tickle in her chest that was absolutely begging to be released with a nice, loud ahem. She was also concerned because she hadn’t healed since the mahandling that Viz had saddled on her, and though the pain had receded with the help of Rekvahn’s mysterious feel-good button, she worried that if she gave in to it she would pop her lung.

 

The night air was mild, courtesy of the storm that had recently rolled through, and a gentle breeze tousled the hair and clothing of everyone in their curious standoff. Just as Snooze felt she was mastering her wayward bronchial itch, Twick finally made a move. 

 

The tall--and if she was being honest--very handsome human suddenly slipped a leg up over the saddle on his Zuzu and smoothly slid to the ground, facing toward Snooze as he did. She noticed that now that he wasn’t summoning the inebriated ire of an entire tavern to rob her, he actually moved gracefully. Under most circumstances, it may have been impressive, but to Snooze, knowing what she did about his true nature, it was a menacing danger to watch out for.

 

Twick took a few steps before stopping, and raised his hands in the universal symbol for, ‘I come in peace,’ fastening the little god in his steely gaze.

 

“Hello again,” he said calmly, his voice confident and unconcerned-sounding. “It’s good to see you. I trust you’ve been well.”

 

“Oh, about as good as one can be after escaping from the chaos of what was essentially the medieval-version of a biker bar.” Snooze said.

 

Twick chuckled good-naturedly, but Snooze could see that just like before, the emotions he presented never reached his eyes. They were always a shade more dangerous than whatever he was currently professing.

 

“Sorry about that,” he said. “Greed got the better of me in that moment, and I am sincerely sorry about how everything went down.”

 

This lying liar thinks he’s smooth. You ain’t slick, brother. I’m on to you.

 

“I’m sure,” Snooze said. “How’s the dome piece?” 

 

Twick absently rubbed the back of his head, and shrugged. “Oh, just about as good as always. I’m used to getting clobbered. Comes with the territory.” 

 

Then he peered around, as if searching for something.

 

“Where is my loveable subordinate anyway?” he asked. “Fall off the back of the Zuzu in your travels?”

 

“Ah, dude…” Snooze said. “She died. Super sad. Whole lotta blood.”

 

Twick laughed once, a pleasantry, and nodded.

 

“Oh, I sincerely doubt that. Where are you hiding her? Is she lying in wait to sneak attack me again? That was hilarious, I’d love to thank her for the prank.”

 

“Like I said, she gone,” Snooze emphasized again. “I can give you the deets on where I buried her though. You can go shout at her grave.”

 

Twick gave her a curious look.

 

“You speak… oddly,” he said. “Almost…”

 

He paused.

 

“...where are you from?” He said, instead of whatever he had been intending.

 

That’s right, go for tact you great big handsome idiot. I’ll meet you halfway and confuse the absolute daylights outta you.

 

“Why? Planning to show up outside my window with a boombox and serenade me?” Snooze asked. “I’ll save you the trouble: yes I’ll go to prom with you.”

 

“You’re from Earth?!” Twick suddenly exclaimed, then seemed to catch himself, and stifled his shocked expression.

 

Gotcha dummy. That should throw you off your game.

 

“What's Oorf?” Snooze asked, intentionally mispronouncing it in what she imagined was the stupidest-sounding way possible. 

 

It’s important to note that Snooze, in her previous life, was highly adept at playing the part of the fool. It came naturally to her, and oftentimes... was not an act, but she’d quickly learned in her life that there were few things more bothersome to someone than someone who was just so fantastically dense that they seemed to comically misunderstand even the most basic and obvious things.

 

“I’m sorry…” Twick said, preparing something akin to a building diatribe of dismissal, but Snooze wasn’t going to let him have that either.

 

“Oh, don’t apologize,” she said, cutting him off and putting on an innocent expression. “I’ve heard that’s a sign of weakness.”

 

She watched as the human’s eyebrow gave the slightest twitch of annoyance.

 

Perfection. She’d gotten him to reveal his hand ever-so slightly. He was from her home world, and knew what a boombox was, or at least, she assumed they were speaking about the same thing. As far as she knew, Twick could have been from the Victorian era, and maybe a boombox was what they called a crate with dynamite in it? 

 

“I wasn’t…well, nevermind that,” he said. “I misunderstood.”

 

“There’s nothing wrong with admitting your mistakes,” Snooze said. “I forgive you.”

 

There went that delightful eyebrow twitch again. 

 

Alright, push a little. 

 

Once again, this voice in the back in her mind, seemed to be urging her toward a specific direction, and she felt compelled to carry on with her maneuver. 

 

“Oorf doesn’t sound like anywhere from here,” she said. “Is that another realm? Perhaps far, far away?”

 

Twick scowled.

 

“I don’t enjoy your games, shrimp,” Twick hissed suddenly, all pretense of his congenial behavior dissipating. “You know damn well where I come from, you’re trying to get me worked up, and it’s working. Happy?”

 

“But, what do you mean?” Snooze asked, touching a finger to her lip as though she was baffled. She let out a dramatic sigh and dropped her shoulders.

 

“Enough,” Twick said. “I’m sure you think it’s cute to dance around the truth as you’re doing, but it’s not. I’m not sure why a numbskull like you would be invited here, but I don’t care. This silly game is over. Hand over the firerocks.”

 

So he was invited here… Snooze pondered. But, by whom? Something didn’t seem right. She was reminded of Xolt, and all of his talk of ‘seeing how this plays out,’ and ‘never before encountering such an opportunity.’ Snooze had a feeling that this was part of that opportunity.

 

“Okay, cool,” Snooze said, and grabbed the bag hanging from her side with a jingle. Then she paused.

 

“Wait…” she said, clutching the bag to her chest. “Where’s your friend? The pretty lady with the big sword?”

 

Twick grinned. 

 

“Oh, she is around.”

 

Snooze frowned, then offered up the bag of 

 

“I’ll give you these if you get Runner-Up to reveal herself. I don’t really like it when there are people sneaking around that I can’t see.”

 

“No deal,” Twick said. “Counter offer: you give the stones to me right now, or I jam my sword into your skull and let you bleed out in the dirt.”

 

Snooze shrugged, and hefted the bag up, and tossed it toward Twick. 

 

“Here you go,” she said. “Now you can go ahead and get out of here, right? Seems awfully silly to come all this way for some useless gems, though.”

 

Twick wasn’t listening though, his greed had overtaken him and he rushed forward, dropping his sword on the ground and began gathering up the bag and the loose stones that had tumbled out. His eyes were alive with lust for the gems, and Snooze couldn’t help but notice that he’d completely lost interest in defensiveness.

 

That was her opening. Without a second thought, Snooze lifted her hand, and fired the spell she’d prepared before her descent of the cliff face. Instantly, a tendril of vines snaked out from her hand, and began to lasso and loop around Twick’s outstretched limbs. The look of surprise was almost worth the price of admission, as he very quickly became overwhelmed by a harrowing-amount of coiling flora. Snooze hadn’t anticipated it to be that successful. A full-fledged column of ensnaring weeds was surprising to her as well as she had barely anything managed larger than a dandelion since waking up.

 

After just a moment, Twick was completely invisible behind the cocoon of vines that Snooze had concocted, and the little god stood back, impressed with her own work.

 

“I’m like Spiderman,” she said aloud. “Well… sorta.”

 

She heard rustling and clinking and looked up to see that the rest of the Bosk Dagala Shood were climbing out of their saddles and stirrups, and lowering themselves to the ground. They removed all manner of weaponry from their backs, shoulders and waists, becoming increasingly more dangerous by the second as they all began marching forward, Snooze in their sights.

 

“Ah, butts,” Snooze remarked with a sigh. She took a few steps backward, and raised her hands.

 

“Wait!” She called out, but the group of warriors continued their advance. “Aren’t you guys supposed to lay down your weapons once your leader has fallen?”

 

A smug-looking Doa near in the front stepped forward from the line. Snooze didn’t want to body-shame a creature whose species was only of vague familiarity to her, but he did look a bit unhealthy. He had pus-colored skin, pocked with burns and scabs, and a crusty scar crossing his nose. The creature snorted and began bouncing the haft of his ax on his palm.

 

“Who? Twick?” he asked. “That outlander is a loud-mouthed braggart. The rules of war state that where one leader falls, the next in rank takes up the mantle. That would be me.”

 

“Ah, butts,” Snooze said again, scowling.

 

“But, I don’t have any more of the firerocks, so, you may as well try to fish them away from old greedyfingers back there,” Snooze said, motioning toward the shuddering cluster of vines nearby. She watched as a passing soldier kicked the clump, and she heard a muted yelp from within.

 

Guess these guys aren’t the loyal sort.

 

“We don’t care about the firerocks as much as the reward for bringing you in,” the Doa explained. “You’re worth more than your weight in bounty rewards.”

 

“Wait, what? Reward? For me?” Snooze asked, clearly not understanding exactly what predicament she’d toddled into this go-around. “You guys are bounty hunting me? But why? And who is paying you?”

 

Suddenly, Snooze felt an intense rush of heat directly behind her as if someone had ignited a large butane torch. There was a shift in the feel of the atmosphere that prickled the hairs on the back of her neck, and immediately she heard a soft, deadly voice in her ear.

 

“Me.”

 

Snooze leapt forward, stooping into a crouch and turning back all in one solid movement and her eyes found the glowing specter of the Second, standing where she’d just been, hand at her side on her sheathed blade.

 

What? She’s quiet!

 

The Second--Sariki-sort-of, apparently--smiled, a cruel and most uncomfortable expression that Snooze did not like at all. She fell backward on the ground, hands up, and hurled her Plantlife godspell right at the woman. A vine shot across the few feet between them, but, In the blink of an eye, the Second had drawn her blade and sliced several sections away with a blue flash, and they fell to the ground, the ends singed as if by fire. 

 

The movement had been so fast that Snooze couldn’t even follow it, but the after image of whatever blue magnificence had been released was welded into her mind’s eye. She let out a gasp.

 

How can she move like that? That’s… 

 

Snooze’s mind was reeling. She had to remind herself of the Book of Leaf’s words all those years ago: you’re a god, nothing is weird anymore.

 

That’s atypical. Is that something that I should know how to do?

"That was a marvelous avoidance," the Second said, her cruel smirk still plastered to her face. She stood up straight and Snooze noticed that the blade that had been so unceremoniously whipped out was now back in its sheath, and it was something that gave the little god pause.

That sort of speed shouldn't be possible... should it?

She had to admit, she was quite ignorant of her world now, but even that seemed like a stretch. Snooze had been a bit concerned before, and some may have described that as ‘afraid.’ But it wasn’t that. No, few things made her afraid anymore, and a fast-moving Brug with a penchant for dramatic flourishes wasn’t one of them. No… the feeling that bubbled up inside of Snooze was something altogether different.

She was excited.

Snooze couldn’t help herself, and despite her best efforts, a smile crept across her face. She’d been feeling lost and alone in such a formerly familiar place for the last few days, but now… now she felt as though she had a handle on things. 

As has been explained before, there were constants in the universe, but one of those in Snooze’s personal universe of existence throughout the whole of her multiple lives was adversity. Everyone had always seemed to think she was incapable, or supid or just plain strange. 

But that had always been to her greatest benefit. Everyone had always underestimated her, and that was  the absolute crux of being truly humble. No matter what slight or malice or dagger of inflammatory passion was lobbed in one’s direction...

You must always know your worth.

“Let’s dance, donkey,” Snooze said, and lifted her hand up. 

A scythe of pure Air flashed out from her open palm and sliced through the empty space toward the Second, but the woman was fast, and rolled out of the way. She was up in less than a beat and was suddenly racing toward Snooze with her hand on the handle of her blade. Snooze didn’t want to risk taking that one directly, so she hurled another blast of Air in the woman’s path, and as the Brug woman sidestepped, Snooze activated her Plantlife. Instead of firing it at her assailant, though, this type she formed it into a plank of interlocking bamboo. The growth exploded outward, lacing itself together and seemed to be just in time, because as Snooze had suspected, at that moment, the Second’s blue arc of her flashing blade came down on her.

But luckily, Snooze, who’d never been much in a fight until recently, had been able to guess the direction it would come from. Not for her head, not for her chest--that would kill someone--and her friends had regarded the woman as one who loved to cripple and mangle. No, she’d judged that she’d go for a limb, and that she had--her casting arm. 

But Sariki’s blade glanced off the side of the newly-formed bamboo shield, and slid overhead, allowing Snooze a fleeting moment to fire a blast of Air at the woman’s unprotected midsection. But, despite her minor victory, the Second seemed to anticipate this and rolled to the side once more, the spell missing by inches. 

Snooze leaped backward, holding the shield up defensively. She could see the woman’s blade was back in its sheath and her hand still rested on it. That was problematic.

What the dick? Snooze wondered. How am I supposed to battle someone like her? She seems to know exactly how to move to avoid getting hit. It’s going to take more than a lucky break to shatter her immaculate defense.

The god was useless in a straight-on fight, and she suspected that the Second, with her experience, would be aware of that fact and use it to her advantage. Snooze also figured she had wasted her one surprise shot of underestimation. The Second was not stupid. She may have been overconfident, but she seemed to know exactly what she was doing when it came to battle. That wasn’t a surprise considering the solitary chunk of information Snooze had gleaned about her was that she was a nasty and dangerous maim-prone warrior. So she devised a different tactic, one where she might have a slight advantage. She opened her mouth.

“You’re fast,” Snooze said, breathing heavier than she needed to in order to elicit the idea that she was already losing her stamina.

“It is a supreme gift,” the Second said seriously, still smiling. “From my masters.”

Masters, with an ‘s,’ Snooze thought. So there’s more than one. That's not nothing. I just have to figure out a way to keep her talking more than swinging and I might make it out of this.

Snooze chuckled, but she became uncomfortably aware of the legion of warriors that had begun closing in on the two women. They began forming a wide circle around the them, leaving plenty of space for anything that might happen to transpire of the aggressive variety, and Snooze spotted the loud-mouthed Doa from before, his eyes glittering with glee as he sidestepped along with his troops. They were silent, however, which made Snooze even more uncomfortable than had they been jeering and making noise. Like statues, they were suddenly arrayed, watching with quiet interest as their ace-in-the-hole battled it out with the tiny god.

“Your masters must be mighty strong to grant you such bountiful blessing,” she said. “Or at least numerous. I suppose it wouldn’t take much effort if there’s a lot of them. They could--”

“Enough prattling, Snooze,” the Second said, pronouncing her name perfectly. “I will not abide your tongue. I know it is with that which you worm your way into a favored position.”

“You’ve got to stop talking to my exes,” Snooze shot back.

The Second shook her head.

“Your foreign words mean nothing to me, tiny irritant. I have trained at the lap of the masters, and it is not just my strength and skill that they have adorned me with, but also their methods of your intimate disposal. You fester in the mind and bewilder.”

Snooze shook her head.

“Now I know you’ve been chatting with my jilted lovers.”

“You will not receive the benefit of your nature,” Sariki the Second proclaimed.

“My nature? What do you mean?” Snooze asked, slowly moving her hand to her waist. “Are you saying I’m an aberration? That’s rude.”

The Second sighed.

“I have been forewarned of your particular affinity for confusion,” she said. “It is uncouth, and unwholesome.”

“Hey,” Snooze explained, relaxing her posture as her fingers found the pouch hanging at her side. “Life is a nightmare. I’m just its messenger.”

Then she drove her hand into the pouch just as the woman launched another attack at her, and emerged with the Stonie dagger. Then she dropped low and rammed the edge of her spell-forged shield into the woman’s boot and brought the knife up above her head. She heard a groan from the Second on account of the untoward bashing she’d just exacted upon her toes and a dull clink as the dagger clipped the edge of the warrior’s sword while it passed overhead.

That had been a very risky maneuver, but a successful one. She’d had to trust that the Second did not believe she’d be so quick to switch to the offensive with her guard, as she’d been playing it very defensive since the start of their tilt, only attacking with godspells. But Snooze had also learned something else: the sword was solid.

That was what she’d been debating. The Second struck too quickly to see, and the god hadn’t known if the blade was magically produced or something more… tangible. Now she knew. 

“Clever,” the Second said, seeming to understand the situation. “Yes, this blade is forged steel. You are quite astute…”

Please don’t say ‘I see I’ve underestimated you,’ Snooze thought.

“I see I’ve underestimated you,” the Second said.

“Don’t be such a stereotype, Sariki,” Snooze said, smiling wide. “Even you’re better than that.”

Snooze wasn’t quite sure if she’d discerned the meaning of the name ‘Sariki.’ Sa was green, of course, but ri and ki were oddities because separate ri meant “cold,”or “dead,” and ki was a multitude of “helping” words that would take much too long to detail. Riki together, however, meant “prowl,” most often, but “green prowl” didn’t really resonate with the god. She also considered it was possible that some of the words had gained modifications in the… hundreds, or perhaps thousands of years since she last knew their etymology, but she figured that whatever it meant, would eventually reveal itself to her.

How very right she was.

The Second scowled, suddenly, something Snooze had not yet seen since their fight began.

“Don’t defile my station with such base and meaningless drivel,” the woman spat. “I am the Second Blessed, and your attempt to mar my honor is foul. I despise your manner.”

“Well, I despise your haircut,” Snooze shot back.

It’s important to note that occasionally, the return of a reparte was unnecessary and wildly ineffective.

The Second shook her head.

“Enough,” she said. “My masters have grown weary of you, and I will admit to my own distaste of your affront. Let’s be done with this farce.”

The Second tensed, and Snooze knew another attack was forthcoming, but she was suddenly able to grapple something within her, and felt the familiar sensation of her Aura almost imperceptibly flow from her and stretch across the paces between her and the woman who would do her deadly harm. She watched as the Second seemed to relax, just slightly, and Snooze felt as though it was enough leeway to sneak another few words in.

It is important to note, that while Snooze should very much not have been able to utilize her Aura, nor the litany of godspells she’d been firing wildly since the start of the encounter, she was able to do so. Those paying close attention, perhaps from a safe distance or viewing the events through the medium of the written word (imagine that!) might also notice it. Snooze too had thought it strange, but it should be painfully obvious at this point that she wasn’t one to second guess her luck, even if it went against the cold and ironclad logic and rules her existence was built upon.

Something odd was transpiring, and Snooze would not know what that might be. Not for a few more moments, at least. 

In any case, Snooze had successfully staved off the intended attack, but for how long?

“Who are these masters that design to bring me so much torment?” Snooze asked, slipping into a more formal mode of speaking and hoping it might force the Second to regard her with a little more respect--or at the very least--less distaste than she had been.

The Second seemed confused as to why she’d changed her own mind on bringing “the noise” to her opponent, and simply shrugged. 

“You will see soon enough, little irritant,” she said, her hand never leaving her sheathed weapon.

“What is meant by that?” Snooze asked.

The Second chuckled.

“I will deliver you to them, as they intend,” she explained. “They were not specific as to your health upon arrival. It matters not, however, for whatever their reasons are I care not. I will do as they bid, and be rewarded for it.”

“Alright then, keep your secrets,” Snooze said, wagging her finger at the warrior. “Doesn’t matter either way, because that’s not going to happen. In fact--”

 

SLUNK

In a fraction of a second, the Second had closed the gap between them, and brought her blade flashing out in its blue arc and separated Snooze’s finger from her outstretched hand. The little god watched, almost in slow motion, as the wayward digit sailed through the air, off to the left. She found herself thinking it was odd, in a detached sort of way, that there was no blood.

Snooze could now see just the slightest intimation of detail on the actual blade of Sariki’s weapon. It was of standard width--from what she could tell, and covered almost haphazardly in the curious glyphs she’d become so perplexed by. Most notably was the sword itself as it was full of blazing blue, living fire. As hot as could be, licking along the blade with feverish tongues of deadly strength.

Snooze didn’t feel anything at first, just the abstract surprise of an unceremonious parting with a precious piece of her flesh and bone, but then she felt a burning sting, and saw the infinitely slowed-down motion of a tiny puff of smoke--or was it steam, escape from the end of her severed knuckle.

Ow.

But then, time returned to normal, and the Second’s movements were back to lightning speed as she suddenly thrust the pommel of her blade, now sheathed again into the god’s face and with a loud crack, Snooze felt something in her face shatter.

The pain was immense, and Snooze couldn’t help but feel the weight of it suddenly, crushing down on her as she tumbled backward to the ground, landing hard and knocking the air out of her lungs. She could hear now the cheers of the circle of warriors surrounding her, urged on by the sudden influx of hyper violence. They must have moved during the most recent assault because Snooze found that none were near her, or at least, she couldn’t perceive any. Likely they had clambered out of the way to avoid getting hurt themselves. 

Blood pooled into her vision, and she scrambled to wipe it away with one hand, while reflexively firing another blast of Air. The Second swayed to the left, enough to avoid the assault and leaped through the air, seeking another painful attack to ladle onto Snooze’s prostrate form. 

It was at that moment that a gigantic boulder slammed into the Blessed with a loud crunch, sending her careening out of view.

What the…?

The cheers stopped, and Snooze sat up, wiping away more blood from her agonizingly numb face. She could see the boulder still, resting against the ground, and Snooze surmised it had to be ten foot in circumference.

That had to hurt, she thought, but how did that…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a pair of hands jerking her to her feet, and she looked over her shoulder to see Hal, her serious face full of worry as she propped the god up.

“Are you alright, Se Nu Sa?” she asked, and Snooze could see her pivoting to ensure she was not about to be assailed.

“Hal…?” Snooze wondered aloud. “Did you throw that big rock? That’s really cool, I didn’t kno--”

“No, Se Nu Sa,” Hal corrected. “That was not me--can you stand on your own?”

Snooze nodded, which she regretted, because a new brand of pain blossomed suddenly in her head and face holes, but she was able to find her sealegs, or rather, Uuk Raga legs, and slowly regained control of her footing.

“Hal,” Snooze said, her voice, she noticed, sounding far away. “My finger…”

“I saw that,” Hal responded shortly, her scowl remaining as she glared past Snooze and at the semi-circle of soldiers that had now realized the one keeping them at bay was now out of commission. 

“That wasn’t you?” Snooze asked Hal again, motioning to the boulder. It seemed as though she was suffering from a bit of concussion-induced confusion.

“No, Se Nu Sa,” Hal confirmed. “That was done by Mediator Viz.”

Snooze saw now that Viz was nearby, pure and unadulterated rage painting her already gruesome visage. She held her hands out, and Snooze could see the telltale flickering green energy of Earth Arts being summoned. A cluster of baseball-sized rock fragments formed in the air above her head, and she stepped closer to Snooze and Hal. 

“It would be an intelligent strategy to move along,” Viz warned, fastening her venomous gaze on the Doa leader in particular. “This will hurt quite a lot.”

The group of nefarious warriors were heedless to her words, and suddenly began closing in, many with malicious grins plastered to their faces. They drew weapons as they advanced, and the Doa who’d spoken before did again now, his voice dripping with glee.

“We aren’t supposed to kill the tiny Brug,” he said, indicating Snooze. “But I suppose you two are fair game.”

Before Snooze could retort with a sassy comeback, the several dozen foul warriors charged at them, howling oaths and battlecries.

Ah, butts.

 

Then, the ground exploded.

The warriors shrank back, some crying out and shielding themselves from whatever fresh hell had been uncorked upon them as debris and rock flew in every direction. Snooze brought her arm up to guard her face as pebbles sprayed against her. Several more warriors yelped as the dust began to clear until, quite unfortunately, Snooze was able to view the gruesome scene before her.

What appeared to be double the number of men-at-arms stood in the expanse of flats ahead of her. Somehow, more had been procured, and Snooze was not entirely certain how that was possible. At first.

As the smoke and rock particles faded away she could make out the detail of the new arrivals. They were of every race and variety of humanoid that walked her world, but they were off. All of them stood at attention next to a myriad of smoking holes in the ground, as if they’d just wrenched themselves free of the rock. 

They look terrible, Snooze thought, but then realized that they weren’t just shabby. They looked so unfortunate because in addition to their worn and frayed clothing and armor, they were quite deteriorated.

Are they… zombies?

The legion of undead figures were still, decaying where they stood, some worse off than others as bones and sinew and muscle and… goop poked through the fetid holes in their flesh. Some were missing an eye, some were without both. However, all of them seemed completely uniform in their presentation of disgusting vigil.

Then Snooze saw him.

Rekvahn, dressed in his dark robe, emerged from above, and Snooze was shocked to see him floating. He glided in his descent from the rocky pass of the cliff face and came to rest next to the women, an unbelievably wide and toothy smile stretching across his features. He looked at the three of them, and winked, and then turned back to the group of confused warriors and let out a raspy chuckle as he maniacally drummed his finger tips together like a cartoon villain.

“Oh my,” he said, his voice a jubilant hiss. “It appears as though it’s time to play.”

 ...and then the chaos erupted.