Not long after laying my head on Sahras lap, the calm darkness consumed me and I fell asleep.

But this time it was different...

As I drifted in pure darkness the appearance of two red glowing eyes appeared in front of me before my vision changed.

Opening my eyes I could see the brown wooden floor. I blinked a few times before noticing that I have my hands back. Before I could collect my thoughts a sudden deep voice reached my ears.

"What are you daydreaming about?"

'No, it can´t be!' Remembering the voice a sudden sense of dread came over me.

"Papa, please save me! I am scared!"

Looking up I could see a scared child that was tied up and blindfolded.

*Slap*

"Shut the fuck up and be a good girl if you want to live!"

Seeing the familiar scene that I so desperately tried to forget my mind panicked. 'No no no, what is happening? This can´t be!? Make it stop!' but I couldn´t move my body as if I´m being controlled.

"Agh, it hurts papa! Save me!"

The little girl looked at me with red eyes and tears streaming down her eyes.

Grasping my heart and trying to stop hyperventilating I looked towards the masked man that was next to the crying girl and pointing a gun at her head. "N- No please stop I will do it, I promise. So just let her go."

'No no no make it stop... I don´t want to do it again!' but my body didn´t listen as I grabbed a kitchen knife that was to me, turning around I saw the sight of a tied and blindfolded young woman. She was desperately crying and squirming to get free. The ropes dug into her arms from all the moving, but it only damaged her skin.

Holding the knife in my two hands my eyes watered before plunging the knife into her chest.

"HMMMM!" Letting out a muffled scream that gradually died down her movements stopped as she laid there lifelessly on the ground.

Falling backward I looked at my trembling hands while continuously saying sorry over and over again. "I- I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry."

*Bang*

"AGHHHH IT HURST PAPA! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!!"

Hearing the scream and sobs my head turned and saw the masked man shooting the girl in her leg. Deep red blood dripped to the ground, while she was desperately trying to hold back her sobs, scared to be hurt again.

"I did what you wanted to, so let her go now! What do you even want?" Pleaded I but was only answered by maniacal laughter.

"Ahahahahahaha, ha~. Shut up!"

*Bang* *Bang*

"UGHH..." Gritting my teeth from being shot in my legs I fell on my knees clutching the wounds.

"Ahh~ this felt so good. Sadly, I wound be seeing you again..."

The masked man then lowered his gun before saying, "You know what. I have enough. I will let you live."

Hearing his words a wave of relief washed over me just to be crushed. "But not her~"

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

My eyes widen as I reached my hand out trying to stop him.

"NO STO-"

*Bang*

*Thud*

Seeing the girl's body falling down feelings of despair, sadness, hatred, disbelieve, unfairness flooded my mind.

"Ahahahaha your face right now is priceless. Let me take a picture."

*Click*

Looking at the smug face that is hidden behind his mask he held his phone in his hand and showed me the picture. My body burned in rage, but I couldn´t move due to the bullet wounds.

"YOU WILL REGRET THIS! I WILL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!!!"

Hearing me scream at him he let out a weak chuckle before smiling "It was nice seeing you again b-r-o-t-h-e-r~" Finishing his words he aimed his gun at his temple and pulled the trigger.

"Wha-"

*Bang!*

Once again, my vision turned dark, and I woke up with a jolt.

Jumping up I launched myself in front and bit at the first thing that was in front of me. My mind was clouded by anger and sadness, but luckily before I could pour my venom, I realized that I bit into Sahra's leg who was standing in front of me with her back turned.

Removing myself from her leg I slithered backward. Her leg has now two small puncture wounds that dripped crimson blood. 'I I- am sorry Sahra. I didn´t mean to hurt you.'

She didn´t even move or react and only stood in place. But then I noticed someone or something standing in front of her. Focusing my eyes I couldn´t believe what I saw. It was a scarecrow. It has long lanky wooden arms and legs that were bound together with loose robes and rusty nails. It wore tattered clothes, a straw hat, and a wooden mask that covered its whole face where two red eyes shined through.

Sensing that I looked at it, the scarecrow turned its head towards me and laughed "Shishishishishi~ had a good dream little snake" It spoke with a scruffy mocking tone and wielded a two-meter-long rusty scythe that was currently embedded in Sahra's shoulder while she was trying to prevent it from going any deeper with her bare hands.

"Raaaa!"

Hearing his mockery and injuring Sahra I unconsciously cast intimidation, but he didn´t even flinch. I was so angry that I didn´t even question why I could understand it.

Jumping at him he quickly backed off. I placed myself in front of Sahra in a protective manner as she lumped down on her knees before regaining her senses. Taking a quick glance at me she activated combat mode and got into a defensive stance.

The scarecrow laughed at us while spinning the giant scythe as if it were weightless. "Shishishishi never have I thought to see a singing stone with another monster. Shishishishi how amusing~"

He then let a horrifying scream out that drenched my back in a cold sweat. Using this chance he rushed at us ready to cleave us like wheat during harvest season.

Having Sahra behind me I decided to attack him first. Sensing that I was about to attack the scarecrow Sahra touched my back before a layer of yellow sand covered my skin.

Going low I dodged the swing that nearly cut me in half. Turning sideways I cast poison whip and slammed my tail in his chest sending him flying away, before crushing in another scarecrow that caught him. I was astonished by the strength behind my attack just now but just shrugged it off for now.

'Ts only 12 mana le-'

And at this moment I realized that we were surrounded by scarecrows that had their arms stretched out sideways and stood in a perfect circle around us. The good thing was they were quite a bit shorter than the one we are fighting. Meaning the one we are facing right now is their boss or something like that.

The one wielding the scythe stood at two and a half meters, but despite his fragile look it was oddly robust and tanked my slam that could even crack the ground, like nothing. And as it was made out of hay wood some nails and rope my poison did nothing to him. The others all had small sickles or lanterns as their weapons.

Standing up it dusted himself off and spoke with an amused tone, "Ho, you pack quite a punch, or should I say tail? Shishishishi. It has been a long time since a tier 1 monster managed to push me back. You have potential little one, so struggle and give it your all if you want to survive, shishishishi."

Raising his scythe up high he slashed down sending a dark crescent blade at me.

'Shit it is too fast to dodge!'

Taking the attack head-on, it pushed me back a few meters before dissipating, leaving a shallow cut on my stomach. 'Phew, luckily Sahra gave me a sand coat.' I couldn´t dwell long as he swung his scythe a dozen times, bragging us with dark slashes. Sahra with her high agility stats could dodge most of them and block the rest with a sand shield. On the other hand, I had to give it my all to not being cut into pieces but was to slow and took many shallow cuts.

"Ohh~ good, good. You both survived it. Then how about that!" Hearing the deep playful voice we looked at him pointing his palm at us before a flock of black crows appeared and flew at us. Sahra rushed towards me with her dagger in her hand.

Slashing 3 pitch-black crows in half they turned into a puff of black smock. I myself fended them off by biting and smashing them with my tail. But that turned out to be a mistake because as soon as I bit them flashes of the horrible scene resurfaced making them an opening to ram their sharp beaks into me. So I avoided biting them and continued to slam my tail into them.

Naturally, the scarecrow did not stay idle and continued to cast or summon waves after waves of pitch-black crows that have red glowing eyes.