Red engulfed the world, teeth tore flesh, and tongue licked bones. The corpse walkers gnawed at the youth, unable to retaliate. In horror Kain made to scream, alas, not a sound escaped. The youth gargled, chocking upon his own blood. Wispy hair stroked the crimson boy, and turning towards the sensation Kain saw. Head twisted, the undead chewed upon Kain’s freshly torn tongue. Turning, back of her head now towards Kain, the animated corpse reached for the boy’s cheek. Gently she caressed Kain, emaciated hands skimmed the youth as others ate at his flesh.

Kain awoke to wolves tugging at him. At the very least the boy assumed they were so, for he could neither hear, nor see. Canines bit and pulled, the unrelenting flesh of the hairless youth holding fast. An overzealous predator sheared its prized fangs upon the infernal meal to be. Pain and anger aswirl, a dry cough preluded a thunderous roar from Kain. Retreating with tails between their legs the pack ran, survival instinct superseding hunger.

Upon wobbly feet the boy stood. Snow stung his flesh, earning distraught spasms from the exposed muscles. Trembling, Kain thought to his predicament and once again rage boiled. Am I nothing to these people. Does my life mean nothing to these ‘humans’. Heat built within his chest, and reaching a crescendo the youth roared once more. Baring hate and malice at the forefront a torrent of flames shoot forth, a torrent which changed unto a surge from the young fire breather.

Liquid fire rolled across the small valley, in its wake snow melted, pines rendered to ash within moments. The very ground melted, only to vaporize within the dragon fire. Outburst wilted an intense fatigue overcame Kain, numb and heavy his body craved slumber. Within the picture of hell and brimstone, the youth collapsed.

Rumblings of hunger woke the boy. Newly grown eyes shunning the sensation Kain studied the metamorphosed valley, waves upon waves of smooth stone spread before him, a sea of swirling colors frozen in time. The exhibitionist youth recoiled in horror, repulsed by the destruction he wrought. Shuffling aimlessly, bedtime stories of winged horrors descending from the heavens and razzing entire towns come to mind.

A cold wet sensation broke the daydream. It occurred to the youth that at some point he had reached a lake, speckles of ice afloat. Taking in his reflection curiosity came to the forefront. Holding onto his human form, Kain willed the draconic aspects. The bald youth watched as red scales grew, eyes slitting as his nose rescinded. Looking back at him, a red reptilian man graced the water’s surface.

With another thought the boy returned to his human appearance. Now holding fast onto the human aspects, Kain slowly altered into his full draconic form. An abomination greeted the youth, a dragon wrapped into soft human skin. Completely void of scales, and a maw filled with molars and incisors was as comical as it was repulsive. Quickly the youth called forth the draconic aspects. A hybrid form would be useful, thought Kain, anger momentary suppressed. Bone and muscle reformed time and time again. Satisfied, Kain gazed at his reflection. A five feet bipedal humanoid with a dragon’s head, wings, and a tail all lined with shades of crimson rippled across the water surface. Feeling the arcane cradling his unfurled wings, a reckless impulse rang through the boy. With a synchronized leap and flap of the wings, Kain shot fifty feet upwards. As the youth attempted to stabilize himself, the chaotic flailing of his seven extremities brought Kain crashing within the accursed lake.

Swimming to the banks Kain noted that the arcane about his wings had substantially diminished. A futile flap of the appendages proved his worries. Finding a pine tree to lean against, the crimson youth waited. Arcane energies restored as Kain contemplated his growing hunger and prevailing indecency. As shadows shifted with the sun, Kain stilled, nary drawing a breath as lethargy set in.

Noon sun at its peak, a doe encroached unto the lake, oblivious to the snow covered youth a mere dozen yards afar. Ice flakes and splinters flew as Kain pounced towards the deer, meeting his quarry in but an instance. The doe’s rib cage gave way to the collision, bone fragments piercing organs that went uncrushed. Frothing, the animal convulsed in agony. A swing of the tail caved in the deer’s cranium, as he put the animal out of its misery.

Sloppily the youth carved out a cut a meat, and facing away from his first hunt Kain brought the bloody lump before his snout. Recalling the sensation flame built within his breast. Moving upwards a tiny tongue of flame escaped Kain’s maw. Meeting the venison even the miniscule jet of dragon fire reduced the meat to ash. Signing at the aftermath Kain returned to his prey. Crouching besides the cadaver razor jaws took a tentative bite. A rush of primal pleasure flooded the youth, and over the next half hour Kain gorged himself.

Washing out his now redder scales, the draconic boy pondered his exposed jewels. Delight over the succulent taste of fresh, raw meat joining the ever growing queue of oddness. Now that I think about it, I never did try uncooked meat. Returning to the gored and partially eaten deer Kain spied gleaming eyes of predators within the giant pines, too frightened to test the crimson fiend. Attempting to skin the animal, a spurt of blood reminded Kain of the idiocy of cleaning up before the task.

Half a dozen failed attempts at crafting a decent attire, the youth eventually relented. Conceding to a crudely constructed loincloth and hoping that the sodding thing would not rot before he could figure out how to cure the hide. Lacking the means and knowhow of preserving venison, or any type of meat, the youth steeled himself and departed. Squashing the bubbling emotions of abandonment Kain followed the lake as it flowed downstream, hoping that the old adage held true.

Hours upon hours found Kain meandering alongside the river, draining the icy lake as it picked up speed. At every opportune instances the crimson youth would unfurl the webbed appendages, attempting a subdued glide besides the banks. More often than not crashing down as he failed at a maneuver.

As the sun hung low Kain halted before an obstruction. The river turned into a vicious rapid as the entire terrain dropped near three hundred feet. Sheer cliff face of impossibly jagged rocks. Gazing across the descent Kain sat before the water torrents, waiting as his wings restored its arcane energies. Now that I think about it, didn’t the griffins also have these things hanging on their wings the youth thought, diverting all attention away from the traitorous caravan train.

Favoring caution the youth took a running lead, leaping across the slope. Reaching the apex of the jump Kain spread his wings, entering a downward glide as the tail counterbalanced his bulk. Turbulent air currents threaten to rip the crimson youth from the sky. Resisting the urge to flap against the opposing forces Kain stayed his simple maneuver.

Reaching the slightly less snowy grounds Kain left the banks. Finding a collapsed giant of a pine within sight of the reformed river, he approached a rough alcove bound by the fell tree. Trusting in the strength of his scales Kain curled beneath his wings, drifting asleep as darkness drew closer.

Irritation awoke the youth before morning rays. Rotting hide discarded Kain eased into the chilly waters, clawed feet digging unto the bedrock, holding fast against the river’s pull as draconic eyes pierced the dark. Spotting a particular large trout the crimson boy charged for the nearby fish. Relinquishing his footing the currents dragged Kain within its depths. Panicking, the youth drew a breath of water. Instead of chocking and drowning Kain exhaled the fluid, alien as the sensation was no harm befell the boy. A few experimental inhales later the youth returned his attention to the apparent drowning. Task made easier with the new limbs, Kain swam towards the water’s edge. Exiting, the lingering cold vexed, however it failed to leech upon the youth’s core.

Rapids and fallen tree well out of sight the scaled youth realized how far he strayed. By the ten, I should stop being so reckless. Wings tightly wrapped about his person, Kain resumed his trek. The two visible moons fading as dawn encroached.

Dark clouds rolled above head as Kain held a dead rabbit. Looking back the crimson youth smirked self loathingly at the collateral damage caused to catch a simple prey. Raw meat ingested Kain resumed his travels, perpetual overcast muddling the youth’s sense of time.

As the monotonous days came and went the snow thinned, surrounding vegetation becoming greener as the temperature rose. His mind numbed by the isolation, Kain nearly shouted in joy as he spotted a tiny hamlet within the distance. Deciding to maintain the advantages allowed by his current form, Kain hugged the shadows of the tree line as he made for the settlement.

A quarter mile from the buildings Kain stopped. The eerie silence and lack of activity so early mid noon unnerving. Focusing intensely at the hamlet, dark tendrils of arcane stood out against the faint vibrancies of background energies. Aslena preserve me, is that a monster nest. Backing away from the hamlet a sweet melody intruded Kain’s mind. The arcane song barely hooked upon his mind, alas, the youth’s desire for human contact supplemented what strength the unnatural hymn lacked.

Enchanted, Kain walked through the diminutive village. Dried corpses littered the dilapidated buildings, arrows and scorch marks strewing the rooftops. Disembodied limbs sticked out from the packed dirt as nature fought to reclaim her propriety. Patched shirt clinging unto pitchfork wielders against mail clad cadavers clenching forged steel painted the picture of what had transpired. Not a single living soul strode the streets.

At the epicenter of macabre scene a distortion rippled, repugnant arcane dripping from the cracks. Striding pass the anomaly Kain arrived at the river banks. Mere yards within the shallow depths lay the source of the magical song. A young fair maiden, eyes aquiver, rosy lips graced the divine hymn. Bare of any clothing the angel transitioned into an aquatic form below the waist. The siren slithered towards the charmed youth, coiling around Kain. Still singing, the divine creature nuzzled Kain’s snout. As he relaxed the siren’s upper body transformed into a slimy, scaled monstrosity. Massive fangs lined the bulbous countenance of the siren. His trance broken by the sudden transformation Kain grabbed the beast’s neck moments before she could bite unto him. Crushing the thinly scaled flesh and bone with ease, a screeching death howl escaped the creature.

In mournful symphony dozens of sirens broke through the water’s surface. River’s edge lapping against his clawed feet, the crimson youth unfurled his wings to escape. Before Kain could take to the sky, three scaled beasts was upon him. Teeth and sharpened nails scratched at the red scales. Kain wrapped his tail about an offender, constricted the fiend to death. Grabbing the tails of the fleeing harassers Kain lifted them up, before slamming the two monsters unto one another. Wet cracks reverberating as the spawns all but fused together, returning to Udioneph.

A warning tingle ran across the youth’s spine. Spinning about, clawed hands outstretched, the sharp blades tore through soft flesh as a rusted sword skidded across Kain’s naturally armored chest. Watching the decapitated head of a delicate woman roll across the moist banks Kain looked to his bloody hand in horror. Shaking, the blank minded boy fell to his knees.

Stopping in their tracks, the remaining sirens shared a knowing look. Shifting to their tender, fair human appearance, they slowly advanced towards Kain. Alluring monsters inches from him, bloodshot eyes turned to the foes. Clawed hands swung towards the closest beast. A trickle of blood flowed down the maiden’s cheek, trembling herald of death stopped short of causing real damage. Finding any available purchase, the creatures pulled Kain within the water’s pits. Images of reaped souls overwhelming the youth’s psyche.

Firmly but with care, the creatures dragged Kain unto the abyss. Hundreds of sirens emerged from a half mile deep bowl carved out the river bed. Spiraling about their mark, the massive school of monsters obstructed the sun’s rays. The multitude sung their dread melody, pushing against the crimson youth’s mind, set upon destroying all reason. Closing his eyes Kain felt the pit of his stomach drop. Smothering the guilt a tear escaped as Kain built the dragon fire.

The depths shuddered, a fifty feet torrent of flames bursting from the crimson maw. Incinerating all within its path. Surrounding body of water vaporized instantly, sending Kain and the deathly boiled monsters to the bowl’s evacuated bottom. Fire breathing interrupted the boy slammed to the silt layered bed, liquid fire falling atop him in short order. Before Kain regained his bearing, the ground rumbled as the river violently refilled the void. The world tumbled head over heel as the roiling currents lashed Kain about, occasionally using the crimson youth as a chisel in decorating the siren’s domain.

Climbing out Kain forced his laden body to dry land, fatigue seeping within every fiber of his being. Glancing towards the calm water surface the mangled, seared cadavers brought back memories of burning human flesh. A nauseous sensation hit the boy, divesting him of past meals. Dry heaving, Kain regained his footing once more, suppressing any emotional turmoil.

Returning to the hamlet Kain rummaged through the derelict abodes. Lacking the intestinal fortitude to loot corpses, the boy found a few pairs of relatively intact clothes in size. Unwilling to sacrifice the few adequate trousers, Kain fashioned a loincloth out of soft tanned leather.

Shouldering the heavily worn rucksack Kain forced his ever numbing limbs into motion, eager to leave the accursed settlement. Two golds, forty eight silvers, and a few hundred coppers. It’ll do for a while struggled the youth to stay awake. Trudging a dozen miles downriver the crimson youth collapsed mid stride, Just a short nap…

Another lonesome morning greeted the youth. Brown leaves dancing upon the winds formally lifting the veil upon autumn. Hefting himself out the moist dirt, Kain picked at the small pebbles lodged between an odd scale or two. The boy set aside his looted rucksack, opting for another wash in the open. Wild living becoming an ever growing occurrence. Turbulent emotions crept as Kain settled into the mundane act. Squashing the budding distress the crimson youth redirected his focus to the road ahead, reminding himself of winter’s eventual assault.

Starlight hid behind thick clouds as Kain hauled a slain boar towards the river. Golden eyes shone as the youth backtracked through the defaced and collapsed trees, underbrush utterly uprooted. The silent hunter washed his quarry. With all knives within the hamlet rusted to oblivion Kain gutted the boar with his claws. Wolfing down as much raw meat as possible, the crimson youth pondered whether or not to use what precious little salt pilfered in preserving some meat. Having never struggled to acquire food since the unfortunate march, Kain decided to save the rare resource. Distancing himself from the carcass the boy found a dry stretch of grass, slumbering within the familiar folds of his wings.