I was slightly damp when I exited the wall of jelly. I rubbed my eyes. What I was seeing couldn’t have been possible. No. This was the work of the devil! I was sure of it!

A hand clasped onto my shoulder. I turned, trying to shove it off but the grip was tight and very strong. The black man’s eyes drilled into my own and I was scared.

“Welcome, Ira,” said the deep voice, “to Refuge. It is here we do our work. It is here we plan our onslaughts on the devil and his demons.”

I looked away from the man and gazed with a parted mouth at the vast new city before me. A city hidden behind a wall. It was dark here too but still so many people were awake and hustling around. Each of them looked very busy and each were walking to different destinations with a fast pace. Some carried papers, others had building material, some were working a forge in the far distance.

All wore the same clothing. A dark brown robe and matching brown shoes with no socks. That was it. Everyone would have looked the same if it wasn’t for the varying sizes and races. I observed in amazement as dwarves, elves, humans, and some hybrids worked and spoke in harmony. I even spotted a few orcs amongst them.

But how? Last time I checked none of these races got along with one another. Humans stuck to humans. Dwarves stuck to their anvils. And hybrids, well, they mostly kept to themselves in their even smaller communities, not truly accepted by either side of their blood.

It was truly a beautiful sight.

“Ira.”

I shook my head and turned to the man.

“Have you been listening to me?”

I shook my head, “No. I’m sorry. It’s just all so-”

“It is a lot to take in, I’m sure, but please pay attention. My name is Gauss. I’m a friend of your father’s.”

“How do you know my father?” I asked almost immediately. I looked down at his hands and realized that Jonni’s head was not in them. “And where’s Jonni? Where did you put him? Tell me!”

Gauss put his finger to his mouth, “Shh, quiet, Ira. Do not make a scene here. Your kind isn’t truly accepted here in the Refuge. It took much convincing-”

“Tell me where he is, damn it!”

Gauss stared at me a moment before pointing behind me. I turned to see the young girl from before holding Jonni’s naked head. She was standing in front of a dwarf blacksmith’s smelter. She lifted the head over it and dropped it.

“No!” I cried. Everyone stopped what they were doing to turn towards me. I took off towards the girl but Gauss’ strong grip grabbed me by the wrist. “Let go of me God dammit! Let go!”

“It needed to be done, Ira,” said Gauss. “Let it go.”

“No!” I screamed. “I can still get to him!”

“He’s gone.”

Hot tears ran down my face. I knew he was gone. Jonni was no longer in this world. His spirit had faded from his body long ago. But was it Jonni’s head I was so distraught about? Or was it that the smelting of his head confirmed my life had been turned upside down. That I was now in hell, punished for some unknown wrong doing. Yes, the burning of Jonni’s head was confirmation. My life had ended.

As if Gauss could read my mind he said, “You can’t go back to the chapel. The old you is gone. Your father knew this would happen but I doubted he knew it would happen while he was away.”

I fell to my knees and fell forward resting my hands on the ground. The tears now fell to the dirty grey cobble.

“Ira, here is your first lesson in demonology. Any person or thing possessed by the devil’s minions can be possessed again but with more ease. Whether they are dead or alive it makes no difference.” He was quiet for a second before adding, “And each must be dealt with accordingly.”

His words floated into my head but I wasn’t sure I comprehended them. I’d known Jonni ever since he was born. I was there when his mother first gave birth to him. I was there moments later when she died. I was there when he was sent to the orphanage across the street from the chapel. I was the one who helped feed him.

And now…

A small goblin rushed over to me, an old leather strap with measurements etched into it swayed loosely over his neck. He grabbed the measuring tape and started to get the dimensions of my back, arms, and legs.

“What’s he doing?” I asked Gauss, still looking down at the cobble.

“You need to be fitted with apprentice armor. Your training starts tomorrow.”

“What training?”

The little green skinned tailor made a loud cough to interrupt us. “And what about his, ugh, his-”

“His horns. You can say it, master tailor Prit. He must come to agreement with what he is.”

Horns? Did he just say horns?

My hands shot up to my head. I had forgotten all about the lumps. First, I felt the edge of the bump then the tip and… There wasn’t skin there anymore. No. My fingers were met with cold and sensationless material.

To my left was a small rain puddle, the reflection of the moon wiggling from the vibration of nearby foot traffic. I crawled towards it, my heart jumping into my throat.

No, this can’t be. This is just a nightmare. It isn’t possible. It isn’t-

The reflection of my head in the water wasn’t clear by any means but I could still see them. Two sharp points as white as an aristocrat’s teeth. They were there, and they were real.

Strangely, no tears came this time. Just like the moment I had stood to conquer my fear of the red eyed demon in the alleyway those same apathetic feelings came to me once more and I was calm.

I moved back onto my feet to stand, just to be forced back down forcefully by Gauss’ hand.

“Stay knelt. Our leader approaches.”

I grunted, still trying to push back with my shoulder against the Rothian’s natural brute strength. Finally, I gave up and stayed put.

I heard the clip clop of the horse’s hooves before I saw the man who rode on it. He wore the same cloth robe as the others but his was pure black. Come to think of it, Gauss’ robe was also black.

The leader’s hand was to his head, blocking his face from those who bowed to him. He looked embarrassed.

“Please, stand. All of you. We only kneel to the Lord our God, the Almighty. This is not right,” he said.

I instantly respected him.

His hand moved from his face making it possible to see his eyes. That was when my thoughts towards him changed. I didn’t like him. No. I hated him. I despised him. He needed to be gone. To die. To suffer. He needed to be dealt with here and now.

Gauss’ strong arm was still on my shoulder still pushing me down. I pushed this time with a strength that was not my own. I shot up, easily breaking through his fortitude.

The leader looked at me curiously with those golden eyes. He was a hybrid for sure, I could tell from here. He had dirty blood. I raised my hand towards him and concentrated with all my might. I prayed and begged for the dark father to bring me the power needed to execute this holy man.

“No!” bellowed Gauss, standing up with crazy agility. He tried to push me from a low stance but I barely budged, my full attention on smiting the light from this world.

Gauss, realizing it was no use, grabbed the goblin tailor name Prit by both of his wrists and picked him up with ease. He spun the goblin a few times in the air before flinging him in between me and their lousy leader.

Prit’s eyes bulged as he took the full force of my power, exploding into thousands of red and green goblin bits.

I took to my knees willingly this time, my head aching from all the stamina I had just used. Gauss turned to me. He pulled back a fist and punched me straight in the nose.

Darkness followed.