https://www.artstation.com/artwork/No6kN

Standing there in the middle of the cave, his body soaked in blood, and mutilated corpses all around him, Gregor waited with a defiant gaze. The creature that ducked its heads through the tunnel’s round opening, a great monster with two misshapen skulls, a lumpy human body, and the tusks of an orc. But unlike the orcs he had seen on the surface world, this beast was almost the size of a hill giant, its yellow gapped toothed grins twisted into cruel smiles as they roared, “food!” and raised two heavy swords in their ham fisted hands. The dozens of goblins that flowed in from behind the creature, preparing a defensive line of spears. “Beware the Ettin, he is quicker than you think.”

Outnumbered, and facing a monster he had never seen before, Gregor’s head shot back to the passageway behind him. Perhaps there he could create a bottleneck. But even as he thought to retreat, twice as many goblins flowed in from the opposite direction, spears and bucklers forming a shield wall four ranks thick. Cursing Daria’s name, he met the big monster’s lavender coloured eyes, and let out an ear splitting warcry. He was Gregor, and he would not be defeated!

The beast’s laughter, echoing in his mind as he felt his skin begin to burn. His throat constricted with so much rage, he could barely breathe as he drew upon his innate power. Zelnora’s words, coming to him as he remembered the dragon’s wise golden eyes, “focus your rage, halfborn. It is the only way to channel that other half of you.” And like a combust ball, he exploded, blue flames shooting out of him like whips of fire to send the goblins scrambling over each other like rats. Flames, fanning outwards to burn them alive in writhing agony as Lost Flame tore through their bodies. The bewildered look on the ettin’s two stupid faces, twisted into chagrin as goblins screamed past it.

Greatsword glowing with blue fire, Gregor flew through the air, and tucked himself into a roll between the giant's feet, hacking at its heels to bring the monster down. Then with a sniff of his nose, he slashed the ettin’s throat open, before it ever had a chance to fight back.

He was Gregor, and he would not be stopped…And at the back of his mind, the voice purred, “oh yes, my sweet, yes.”

~*~

Worried that Gregor might be in trouble, Daria glanced back the way she had come, but as if drawn by an inexplicable force, she stared back at what she had found. A city unlike anything she had ever come across. Her jagged walls, made up of thick black spikes, rigid towers that must have housed thousands of demons, and bubbles of colorful energy that swirled through the air like rivers of light. It was a world unlike anything she had ever seen, but what drew her eye was the imposing temple at the far back. Held aloft by strings of white magic that sparkled like filaments, it floated on the air with a thousand golden steps leading up through an archway and onto another set of gates. The footsteps that stopped behind her, growling, “I could have used your help. What happened to keeping me alive, hero?”

Her head twisted around to see a bloodied Gregor with a new scar on his cheek, she felt a blush creep up into her face as she realized she had gotten distracted. But even then she felt her eyes drift back to this strangely beautiful temple, its clean square shaped surface lit up by balls of white light, four golden spires that looked sat on each corner, and an emblem of a golden dragon. Her words like a breathy whisper, she asked, “Have you seen anything like this before?”

His shoulders stiffened, Gregor replied slowly, “yes. Once.”

Turning to see his sour expression, she pressed, “well?”

Hand roughly scrubbing his unshaven cheek, he shook his head tiredly from side to side. “It was a long time ago, when I was a recruit in the Battleguard.” The mere mention of the name, bringing bile up from Daria’s stomach. “We were sent to explore ruins nearby that were said to be hiding ghouls, when we came upon a temple just like that. Ghouls had holed up inside, but most of their fighters were gone. After we…after we took care of them. We set up camp there, but I never liked the way it felt, and went off to scout around. I returned maybe an hourglass or two later and everyone was dead, their bodies turned to ash. I never knew what happened to them, and I never cared to.”

“And you think whatever you're searching for is inside?”

Shrugging his shoulders as though it did not matter, Gregor released a heavy sigh. “I do not know. Either way, I will search every inch of this place, smash every stone, and destroy anything that gets in my path.” Every word uttered with such conviction, she felt a shiver in her bones at the look of sheer determination in his eyes. It was the look of a man that would do anything to get what he wanted.

Shaking her head to rid herself of that terrifying image, she again looked back at the castle, before she replied, “we will set up camp here, and rest. We do not know how many foes we shall see inside.”

Expression suddenly darkened, Gregor’s mouth curled up into a snarl, “this is my quest, not yours. I’ve wasted enough time here as it is.” But even as he spoke, a flock of winged demons flew out above the city, their black armor shimmering in the light, silver lances in their arms as they circled the air.

Hands clenched to stop herself from slapping him, she asked, “are you truly willing to risk whatever it is you have come to find by dying down here.”

Thick bushy eyebrows twitching, Gregor eventually shook his shaggy mane, and grunted, “No, but I will not stay here a second longer than needs be.”