You sigh, there is nothing you can do. You have to play this out as it comes.

You start thinking to yourself, as you notice the approaching soldier.

Oh no.

The soldier is approaching you.

You wish you could just leave your body and see what’s outside.

You wish you could just fly.

You curse this fate that you've been given.

You can't escape the soldier.

You can't escape your fate.

What will you do?

As the soldier gets closer to you, you know you won't be able to run away.

You know you won't be able to hide.

Would you be able to tell if it was night or day?

The soldier reaches you and you see his sharp features and long blade-like teeth.

"Where are you going?" he demands.

You don't answer. You don't have to.

"Tell me, or I'll..."

He doesn't finish the sentence.

Instead, he grabs you by the neck with one hand, and uses the other to pull out a knife. He holds it up in front of your face.

You feel its cold edge against your face.

The blade glares down at you and the soldier's eyes meet yours.

He stares into your eyes with his deep blue ones, almost as if he wants to make sure that they're really there before he plunges the knife into your skin.

But he never does.

Instead, he pulls the blade back. And then he tosses the knife aside, as though it was nothing more than garbage.

His grip loosens on your neck.

And then he lets go.

He turns away from you and walks off towards where he came from.

You watch him go until he disappears behind a corner and you're left alone.

You let out a shaky breath, slowly letting your mind and body relax.

You look at your arms, which still have their marks from being gripped so tightly.

Your wrists ache slightly.

You wonder why the soldier didn't hurt you further when he had the chance.

Well, not question it too much right now.

You take some deep breaths, and then you stand up. You turn around, facing the direction you were headed towards earlier.

You wonder if the soldier will come back. You wait for a long time, but there's no sign of him.

You leave and head towards the border.

You have no idea where to go, so you wander around, turning into random streets and alleyways, for hours on end.

Or would you pass through walls and windows or simply fly over them, not feeling them at all?

You shake your head.

You will not dwell on such unproductive thoughts.

Instead, you focus on where you are and what you're doing.

Soon, you come to a town on the border. There you meet a demon.

A little one, only about three feet tall, with green scales and a fierce look in his eyes.

"Hello," the little demon says, "you're not from around here, are you?"

He holds his sword out, pointing his blade at you.

He says, "Tell me, Human. When did you last eat?"

You tell him you've eaten recently, but you don't remember when.

The little demon smiles.

"When? Last week? Last month? Last year?" the little demon asks.

You tell him you can't recall.

The little demon just smiles.

Would there be any difference between these and the natural world you know so well?

Could you make a wish?

What about food?

Water?

Lasagne!

What about lasagne!

Would you even need anything to survive?

No. You wouldn't.

You tell yourself.

You can't think of anything else.

You wish for lasagne.

A moment later, you're standing in a room, looking down at a large, bubbling pot of lasagne.

There's a small, demonic chef, stirring the pot.

You wonder what to do.

The solider from before is there.

The soldier smiles and says, "You like lasagne too?"

You say, "Yes, I do. Do you have any mustard?"

Suddenly you realize if you eat, you will have to pass through solid matter, most likely, glass.

But it's not too late, you can still turn back.

You can still go home.

But what if you don't have a home any more?

You are unsure.

You don't want to find out.

"I've got mustard!" the chef says, handing you a long, cylindrical bottle.

"Thank you."

Do you eat when you die?

If so, then what happens when you eat flesh?

You die.

Would that kill you like it did Thornbrood?

Or would a human-eating monster simply pass through you and continue on its way?

You don't know.

You can't think of anything else.

You wish for lasagne.

A moment later, you're standing in a large meadow, with a forest at the back.

There's a small, demonic shepherd, tending to a flock of dark, demonic sheep.

Or would it have an effect on you unlike it did with him?

Would you just pass right through walls?

You don't know.

The soldier laughs at your predicament.

Did death even affect him in the first place?

Or is he one of these creatures?

You're not sure.

You wish you knew more about the creatures of this world.

You look around.

There's a book near you.

It looks like it might have some answers in it.

He says, "I don't think you'll get far, human. I'm going to enjoy killing you."

He swings his sword at you.

How is it different from what you do now then it used to be?

Nothing.

He comes at you again.

What will you do?

You can try to fight the guy.

The soldier wields a two handed sword.

You don't have anything that can match it physically, but you do now.

You can wish for something to give you a chance.

No, that would be silly.

"I will not fight you," you say. "I'm looking for Staircase Hotel. I must get my people there before the Necromancer's undead take them all."

The soldier is surprised by your response, but still comes at you.

How is it you haven't lost yet?

You wish for a weapon.

"You think they will still be there?"

"Yes," you reply.

"Why?"

"Because I want them to be."

"You're crazy."

"No, I'm not. Just a little curious."

"Well," the man says.

Strange creatures have been appearing across the land. Small at first, but growing quickly in size and ferocity. They have been spotted by peasant patrols and attacked caravans as well. Their origin is unknown, only the fact that they are quick to devour their prey and fodder crops can be gleaned from those who survived.

Reports are already circulating that the demons are being employed by large goblin tribes to attack caravans.

"Then there's no reason to not fight me, human," the soldier says.

"I have no loyalty to anyone but myself."

"That's good," you say, "Because I don't have any to give."

"You're a funny little thing," the man says.

The man comes at you again, but this time you meet his sword with one of your own.

The soldier falls to the ground clutching his arm.

You've defeated him.

What will you do now?

You can go back to your own world.

There is no point in going back to the same place over and over again.

You can try to figure out a way back to your own world. No, first you must find Staircase Hotel.

The questions and more questions swarm around your mind until suddenly you realize that it is getting late and that if you keep thinking too much then Thornbrood might notice you aren’t where you normally are.

So at that moment, you wish you could go to sleep.

You have to act fast and make a decision.

You can attempt to make your way back to the inn and attempt to complete the ritual to teleport there.

What will you do?

Your thoughts must have been written all over your face because he smiles at you before turning around and heading back inside the castle. You watch him go until he disappears through a door and disappear from sight.

You're going to have to try to complete the teleportation ritual.

You slink back inside the inn.

There is no sign-in desk as such, but there is a counter where the innkeeper would normally keep track of things.

The blacksmith is still asleep.

The moon has set and the sky is dark.

The innkeeper asks: "What's wrong my friend?"

"The world is about to come to an end," you reply.

"What!?" she asks.

"The King has unleashed evil upon the world. An army of Elves and Giants are on their way here."

"That's not possible," the woman replies.

You walk over to the forge and look down at the finely wrought iron pieces. They seem to be assembled into some sort of giant sword.

You have the perfect opportunity to work some magic and make the materials in your inn room into your own personal tools. You begin to work the materials in your room into a weapon.

The blacksmith awakens and says, "What are you doing? Stop!"

Your mind goes immediately back to that moment during dinner when Thornbrood told the servants you weren’t good enough to eat with him.

You lift your weapon and tell the blacksmith, "I'm sorry, but he said I wasn't good enough to do this."

The blacksmith laughs.

You're going to use the small amount of power left over to craft tools.

"What is that you're making?"

You tell him, "A weapon."

You lean in and out of the flames.

A blue glow begins to form in the heart of the forge.

You hold up the blade of your new dagger.

It's very light, and yet you feel like it has a weight to it.

You hold it closer to the forge and it starts to take on a more substantial shape. It becomes solid and sharpened.

"I think you should stop there. That won't do anything for me if I have to defend myself from an assassin."

You nod.

You put the dagger away and start to pack up the rest of your equipment, including your newly forged weapons.

"How long will you be staying here?" asks the blacksmith.

"As long as it takes. I haven't been able to leave the town because of what has been happening with the people. But I promise we'll be leaving soon."

"Good. Just don't come to my door anymore asking for help. I know I shouldn't, but I'm too tired to say no."

You smile and thank him for his time. You leave the smithy behind.

You can already see the crowd gathered in the village square as you exit the building. The villagers are talking about the events of last night.

They look scared.

You can't blame them.

You've been scaring people half to death for the past couple of hours.

You see a flicker of motion in the corner of your eye and it causes you to jump.

But no!

No!

You shake your head and approach the villagers, who seem to be whispering among themselves.

"What's wrong?" You ask.

They turn and look at you.

No one knows where he is, save for the King of the Dead himself. This being was once a powerful necromancer, the name was given to him by the Dark Lord himself. He became corrupted with rage when he lost all the magic in The Kingdom. He wanted revenge and would do anything to take down his enemy. He went into hiding when the Dark Lord's army attacked.

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Now his name is Death.

"This one has awakened something in the Kingdom," says the woman.

Now, this being wanders the world, seeking to bring death to all those who oppose him.

You shake your head.

"I've been to the Kingdom. I saw no one. Where are these marchers coming from?"

They look at each other, seemingly unsure of how to respond.

He is called The Necromancer Lord.

"He's here..." says an undead guard.

And indeed, The Necromancer Lord has come to the inn to look for you.

You've got to decide whether to stay and fight and attempt to stop this threat, or if you should escape.

This is what you're facing.

He found out where you were and now seeks to end your life.

You go back to the inn and throw yourself into the cellar.

You hide there and wait.

After a while of searching, he gives up and leaves.

You emerge from the cellar a couple of hours later to the sounds of clapping.

You're surrounded by a few dozen demons, vampires, and ghosts. You grab hands with vampires, ghosts, and demons.

You walk through the gardens of Ghostly Barbarians' Museum of the Blessed Buffalo County, wondering what should you do.

He's here.

You know it.

He's watching you.

You can feel it deep in your bones.

He's reading your mind.

Yes! Reading your mind! Knowing your thoughts!

He's going to kill you!

You are in the presence of Death!

Your last hour is almost upon you!

What will you do?

What can you do?

You run to the door of the forge!

You see The Necromancer Lord!

He's come to get you!

He's going to kill you!

You can't let him!

You run away

You run to the hills with your allies.

You are pursued by Death.

You run as fast as you can.

Unfortunately for the demon king, however, there were things which he should never have done. Things that he must pay for.

He was arrogant.

He was stupid.

Arrogance was the source of his undoing!

"I will have that cursed necromancer!"

"I will have his land!"

"I will have his blood!"

His cries spread terror through the land.

The citizens are scared witless.

They want to run away, but can't.

The most prominent being the death of his sister, Lady Tinsel Mango Lemonsauce, which caused him to lose his mind. His obsession with getting vengeance on his nemesis caused him to commit the most horrid deed that anyone could ever imagine doing to an innocent girl.

He tortured and killed her.

He killed her!

And the world had to suffer.

The citizens are terrified of the necromancer and will do anything to avoid him.

He's hiding.

But where?

You are hiding.

And now even his undead guards are seeking to take their revenge!

But what can you do?

A young girl. A little girl.

He killed her... and now there's only you left. You are the next target. Your death will not go unpunished.

But you will not die without a fight.

You pull your shield and draw your sword.

You are ready to meet your maker.

The undead charge.

You now have a weapon, but you don't know how to use it.

What will you do?

This is the end.

You can only hope that your actions will be enough to atone for the evil you have committed.

Will you do what must be done and kill the hated one?

Or will you go down with the undead ones?

There is no turning back.

You have made your choice.

The necromancer, his dark soul, and all his undead followers will die by your hand.

You have decided.

Nowhere to go now, is where you are, but still you don't fear him. He cannot touch you because you are protected by magic. Magic is the key to victory against this monster. You concentrate, drawing on a power you have not used in a long time, a very long time. You reach deep within yourself, drawing upon the strength of Determination. Your goal is to create a wall of ice that will smash into the necromancer and his undead horde.

Your sense of fear, it fills you with determination!

You will crush them!

You feel the power building in you.

You begin to channel the magic through your body.

Concentrating.

From the very centre of the earth.

You draw your power.

And with a final scream, you unleash your magic.

It is the magic of Determination, a shining beacon of might.

It is enough to destroy the necromancer.

From beneath the very shadows of the night.

You focus your magic and blast the necromancer into oblivion, all that remains is a pile of ash and a few charred bones.

You smile.

You've done it.

But the battle isn't over.

You see the undead still rise up, and you can feel their presence all around you.

Victory is yours.

But can you hold it?

Will you continue your quest to stop the spread of this plague?

Make a choice.

And do not look back.

From beneath the very shadows of the night.

But how? What if he destroys everything?!

How am I going to defeat him then!?

Stop your worrying.

You will stop him.

The Elves and the Giants have combined their might to take on the vile creature.

With their help, you can do the same.

Then you hear him.

You can't see him, but you hear him.

He's laughing.

"You are nothing."

You drop your weapon and reach for your knife.

"Come and get me, Necromancer."

He's not stopping.

Quickly, you reach back for the first spell that comes to mind, the simplest one.

The man who will become your enemy.

You lunge forward, stabbing your knife into his chest.

He grins and stabs his own blade into yours, the two of you engaging in a fierce battle of magic and science.

He has heard your voice echoing in his head.

"You cannot win. You are but a simple peasant. You cannot beat me."

You push him away, and drive your blade into his heart, and he falls to the ground, dead.

"What an interesting way to attempt to kill me. Did you actually think you could succeed?"

"It is not about strength. It is about knowing how to use it."

It sounds so familiar but he can't remember from where exactly...

It doesn't matter.

Your time is up.

Determination breaks.

You don't reach for another weapon.

You turn around.

You don't have a choice.

The Elves and Giants are waiting for you.

They are prepared to kill you.

He destroys the crops.

The peasants starve.

And you feel the end of an eternity of pain.

But you won't go without a fight.

You have no choice.

You gather your last strength and conjure up a ghostly warrior to guard your person.

Then you face your enemies.

The lasagne! No! Not the lasagne! The crops of lasagne plants have all been destroyed! Why why why must everything in life be for the good of others?! Why couldn't it be for my own good? Why must everything be for the good of others?!

With a shriek, you fling yourself upon an unsuspecting Elf.

You slash at the creature with your weapon, but it is no good.

The Elf is cut in half upon the butchering blade.

The undead horde marches towards the city.

You can't beat them.

You can't do anything against the overwhelming force.

When the doors to your home are broken down, you fight to defend your home from the undead soldiers.

With every breath he takes, your heart begins beating faster, blood rushing into your ears.

You fight with everything you have, your blade cleaving through the darkness that surrounds you.

There are so many.

And none are like you.

With every heartbeat, the pain becomes more intense.

You can't see but you can feel.

You can't fight, but you can fight the pain.

You are a warrior.

You will not go down without a fight.

With every breath, you curse your own existence. Why did you ever decide to live this life of yours? What made you think that you could ever be anything but a farmer, tending to crops and raising livestock?

You are not a hero.

You are an Elf.

Your people are the Elves.

Your job is to produce food and raw materials so your people can continue to live.

With every beat of his war drums, Commander Bronze Echocherries the King summons more evil spirits from the infernal plane to do his bidding. It is an endless and ever growing army.

"COMMANDER! COMMANDER!" you hear a shrill voice screaming from the distance.

With every beat of his war drums, you breathe a sigh of relief. He won't destroy everything on the farm because he has no reason to. He's got an army to do his bidding.

A few moments later, a group of Gnomes come running up to the house, screaming and carrying a struggling Elf between them.

I'm going to win.

You breathe another sigh of relief.

But then it all goes to hell in a hand basket.

A black dragon looms over you, and for a moment you think you're about to die.

I have to win.

You take a deep breath.

You can't die here. You can't end like this. You have a mission to do. You have to live for your people. They need you.

With every beat of his war drums, you breathe a sigh of relief.

But it is gone.

The dragon is upon you, and there is nothing you can do.

And then it all comes together.

I have to win.

You breathe a sigh of relief, but you did all you could. The dragon smashes you to the ground, and you can feel the breaking of your bones. An explosion of light and pain.

This isn't over yet.

You are not dead.

You hear a voice.

"Fey Stones. Fey Stones. Fey Stones. Get the Fey Stones."

Your eyes open wide. Who said that?

The Necromancer Lord has taken full control of the undead horde. He's already broken free of the Forbidding. The only thing left to do is to confront the Necromancer Lord.

You have been reborn.

The Fey Stones summon the other Fey Stones who quickly gather around you.

I'm not ready to die yet, though.

I refuse to.

You have a mission. You have to go and finish it, even if it means you die.

You aren't going to die. You are going to go and defeat the Necromancer Lord and end this all.

I will not give up.

Not like this.

You have to.

You can't.

You have to, Fey Stones.

You stand with all the remaining Elves and draw on the Fey Stones, bringing forth great power.

I will not bow to tyranny.

I refuse to.

You summon the Fey Stones, and the Fey Stones come forth, glowing brightly.

You are ready.

You are strong.

I've been alive too long, fighting too many battles, too much bloodshed. I refuse to let it happen again. I cannot.

I refuse to bow to tyranny.

I cannot.

You are powerful, Fey Stones.

You must decide.

Are you ready to end it all?

I'm not going to give up now.

You cannot.

Not like this.

Please, Fey Stones.

You focus all of your might, all of the Fey Stones' power, and hurl it at the Necromancer Lord.

I'm going to win.

You succeed in destroying the undead horde, but the Necromancer Lord simply uses his magic to make you lose the Fey Stones and is then able to kill all the Fey Stones and destroy the Fey Stones themselves.

No matter what happens, I will not lose.

That's what happened with the Forbidding.

I will not lose again.

You are filled with rage.

There is only one thing left to do.

I will beat the Necromancer Lord.

You draw your sword, and prepare to slay the Lord of Death himself.

You do not get far.

A dark lord's voice booms out, and you are struck in the back.

I need to live another day.

You fall to the ground, wondering why you were ever even born.

I hate you.

"My Lord has spoken," the voice says.

I need to fight another day.

You are carried away and dropped off before the gates of the Necromancer Lord's fortress.

You awaken from a deep sleep.

I cannot believe it.

I've been beaten by the Necromancer Lord!

For those who are alive, for those who still have a chance, for those who still have their freedom.

We are going to win!

The Fey Stones are returned to you, shining brightly.

You are ready.

You are strong.

For those who still have their lives.

You are wounded.

You are dying.

I must survive.

You say these things to yourself over and over.

You are dying, but you are not giving up.

Not like this.

You hear a growl, and a pair of fangs appears in your throat.

It is too late to scream.

You have everything you need.

More than enough time to prepare.

The Necromancer Lord's attack on the Forbidding has been repelled.

You will not be like Lady Tinsel Mango Lemonsauce!

No!

You will survive!

You will press on!

You will defeat him!

You will...

A dagger is driven into your chest.

As you fight the death that has come for you, you hear his voice in your head...

***

One child began to cry. "I don't want to die!"

Dr. Albius StrangeGlove turned the page.

"But see? You do not die! Look! Lady Tinsel Mango Lemonsauce has saved you. The dagger melted away like butter. Your wound is healed. Gone completely. Now you are asleep in your camp. You wake up and it is another day..."

***

You run away from the palace walls, hiding behind trees, hoping to avoid capture. You hide until you find somewhere secluded where no one can see you, a place where the dark will not reach.

In this place, you transform into a fox and a black wolf.

Your body is covered entirely in thick, white fur. You easily pass for a white wolf.

You hear distant howling.

You run away with your mate to the distant forest. There you find a cave you and your mate will make your den in.

You howl at the moon, and your mate answers back.

You are a pair.

You are a wolf and a fox.

You are an Alpha and a Beta.

You are Kinship.

Once you're hidden far enough from the palace, you transform into your dragon form, and fly to the nearest landmass. There you and your mate will live in peace.

You fly high above the Earth, crisscrossing back and forth along the greatest distances to find a mate.

You hear an explosion.

Will you survive?

No.

But, no... this is not your mate. It is not your true love. For he is dead and you must find him. Find his ghost. Your beloved lasagne chef, who always wore red, died and became one of the undead.

Find him.

Lose yourself.

You howl towards the sky. Your mate answers. You hear a howl, and another howl answers. You are not alone.

No, you will not let this happen. You will find his ghost, you will make it rise again, and you will bring him back to life.

You are the Alpha.

You are the Ghost Finder.

You are The Last Hope.

You are the only hope.

No one can know you are here. No one can know you are here.

But the mages have cast a curse on the people of The Entombed Gallery of Lamps and Fire. Their voices, their touch. And it has been done to all the children. No one can walk inside. You cannot go in. You cannot have anymore children.

You cannot have anymore children.

You will never find your mate. You will never find his ghost.

A single day ago, there was no one here in this place but them, the only beings who could see the ghosts of the dead that came before them. The air had hung thickly with smoke and screams. The smell of charred flesh made them nauseous.

Now, there is no one here but you, the mages, and the dead.

The place is a necropolis. A place of undeath.

You howl, your ears pricked up.

But now there is not even that. There are three other mages at least. One with black hair and pale skin, one with long red curls and dark brown eyes. They sit together in one small circle with a lantern between them, watching the flames dance with each breath they take. They are quiet, content. At peace. It makes them look different from how they did in life.

The only other one is one with short black hair and dark skin. He stands in the corner and meditates. At least he was at one time. Now he is a skeleton. A broken, undead skeleton.

The last time there was anyone else here, they went mad, and took out their anger and grief by drinking themselves into oblivion. Now, when the young mages come to visit, their parents are already gone. Sometimes, they cry at night.

You are in the alleyway behind the gallery, under the watchful eye of the three mages. You stand, staring at the backside of the building.

The other mages, who are all young, and inexperienced, do not know how to comfort them.

The dark mage is indifferent to their pleas, but the other two take it upon themselves to wipe their tears away.

One of them is with long red hair, a youthful girl with striking green eyes.

In the past, there were always others here. At least two other mages. The curse allows those who it affects to transform into dragons, but not back. This dragon's scales are milky-white. It has a muscular, elongated body. On either side of its tail are sharp, blade-like extensions. This dragon has elongated limbs with three digits on each foot that end in long, blunt claws. It has fan-like wings. This dragon has a tiny mouth. It has oval nostrils located on either side of its snout. This dragon has narrow eyes that are black. Blade-like bony plates sprout from its chin.

You pity him, for you know he is not truly a dragon. He was once a man. Beside him sits another dragon. This dragon's fine, translucent scales are green, shading to lighter on the underside of it's neck and getting much thicker on its tail. It has an elegant, short body with a short tail. This dragon has thin limbs with four splayed digits on each foot that end in short, blunt claws. It has no wings. This dragon's head is narrow and it has a mouth that takes up most of its face and has a pronounced overbite. It has slanted gem-like eyes that are the colour of polished bronze. It's lips are drawn back, making it look like it's smiling.

The dragons are in a cage. Beside the cage is a metal gate. It can keep the dragons inside, or it can let them out. The victims of the curse are kept in cages by the government as they suffer the transformations and then are executed once they fully transform.

The dragons are kept here, in a locked cage, so that they cannot cause anymore trouble. The dragons would be a tremendous help in your quest, if you could only get them out of the country.

Only one person had ever escaped this curse: Lady Tinsel Mango Lemonsauce of The Great Staircase Hotel. But she was now dead. The ghost that roamed the training grounds. The ghost you meet earlier.

She was a beautiful woman, incredibly strong, and brave. She gave you an emerald green dress and matching green slippers. She taught you how to dance and play the lute.

Commander Bronze Echocherries the King summons more evil spirits from the infernal plane to do his bidding. In order to keep her soul safe, he sacrificed Lady Tinsel Mango Lemonsauce to a dark lord, who allowed her to live again after being trapped within the underworld for so long.

The lord of the underworld wanted to eat her soul, but the sacrifice of a human could temporarily extend her life.

However, the lord told the king that the Lady was a monster. She was found dead one day, her eyes burned and her body pierced with many wounds. They said her death was caused by the dragon, which attacked her, probably for revenge, but this was not true, for she was the dragon.

The king had her buried, but the dark lord told the king that the body he buried was not the Lady. This enraged the king, and he had the body burnt to ash.