A scorching wind blew across the falling form. Flames licked across the muddy clay of the golem's body. Rapidly, the clay hardened as the moisture was wicked away by the descent.

Despite the lack of support, the rate at which the golem fell fluctuated. Pockets of air rebounded the falling mass of clay up and down as hot air resisted the plummeting form.

Blinding light obscured all visibility in the descent. Only subtle hues of red and blue could be perceived through the flames. The clay that made up the body of the golem had hardened in the intense heat of the fiery pit. Vapor screamed as it was released from fissures in the golem's body. The mud that layered throughout the clay dried and crumbled into dust under the assailing winds until all that remained was the hardened clay.

Rapidly, the freedom of movement that the golem had enjoyed on the surface world above became restricted. The soft clay hardened into stone. The golem became a plummeting meteorite of burnt stone.

The falling rock continued to bounce as pockets of hot air propelled upwards into the blazing column. The blazing flames that obscured the visibility of the descent began to thin out. Gradually the golem's eyes adjusted to the ambient light of the column. Unlike the red light that had emanated from the pit when the man of clay had first seen the pit, the light had taken on the blue hue that he had seen on the horizon when he had first awoken.

At a faster rate than the golem could process, the ground approached from below. Alarm flashed through its eyes as it could do nothing to slow its plummet. Again and again, the air rose to break the falling mass of clay and dust's speed. But, the rate of descent proved great.

And, with a climactic smash, the golem crashed into the ground below. A shock wave of energy discharged as the mass slammed into the ground below. The soft soil cratered under the weight of the golem.

In a flash, the fissures that had formed across the golem's clay body shattered. Dust and shrapnel exploded from the hardened frame of the man built of clay. The smoking dust from the impact rose high into the air and blanketed the surrounding terrain. All visibility was obscured as the smokey dust took on the blue hue of the column of light.

Despite the golem's efforts to land on its feet the mass of clay had fallen into an undignified mess of shattered clay and dust. Fear gripped the golem's consciousness as the implications of the crash were considered. The shell shock of the calamity held the golem in a daze as the dust cloud settled.

Unable to move after the great fall, the golem expected the worst. That the vessel of its body had been destroyed by the impact. The disorienting effect of the crash continued. And, despite efforts to mobilize its limbs, the golem still couldn't move.

The destruction wrought by the impact gradually settled, and the dust and debris that wasn't carried upwards in the light column fell gracefully to the earth. Visibility was becoming available in the blue-tinted haze.

All about the fallen golem, the shattered remains of the man's clay body lay scattered across the ground. A fine powder had draped all the larger debris, softening the scene in the eyes of the man made of clay.

The daze from the impact receded as motor function once more returned to the golem. Fumbling arms pushed up from the ground, straining to lift the weight of the golem's body. Several failing attempts to right the golems prone posture landed the clay man's face in the dust until finally the figure was able to sit up.

The upper body and torso of the golem seemed intact, but fear coursed through the man that his legs had been shattered by the fall. As yet the legs would not respond to the golem's efforts to move them.

The dust, having dispersed, no longer obscured his vision and the clay man was able to observe the transformation that had occurred throughout his body.

Whereas, in the world above, his form had been bulky and soft, his body had become chiseled and hard. The distinct texture of human musculature had been carved from the mass of clay and mud that had once been his body. The physique, though pliable and dynamic, no longer held the malleability of wet clay and mud. His body was now of carved stone.

It didn't make sense to the golem's mind that the calamitous fall should reveal such a form. The fact that the impact hadn't utterly disintegrated the clay man's body was astounding by itself. But, for his form to have been chiseled into a human physique so different from its former state. That did not compute in the golem's mind.

With considerable concentration, the stone legs began to respond to the golem's commands for them to move. Leaning forward, the man rested his weight on his arms and began to rise. His legs folded under him until his feet lay flat with the ground. With considerable effort, the golem stood up.

Standing once more the golem gazed out on the destruction it had created with its fall. All around him, the impact crater had collapsed the soil. A soft coating of clay dust layered everything about him as far as the dull blue light extended.

The golem began to place one awkward foot before the other as the man walked over the debris of what had once been his body. As he walked away from the impact crater the blue light that rose into the sky dominated less of his view. The landscape lacked the signs of vegetation that had colored the land in the world he had fallen from. Here, there were no trees. Nor was there any shifting grass.

The comforting blue light was replaced by a harsh combination of orange and red light that oozed from the ground. Overhead was pitch black, a dark abyss that fell into eternity.

Orange flames bled out from cracks in the ground, highlighting the charred stones that littered the horizon.

As the golem moved among the blackened stones that made up his new environment, it became apparent that he was not alone. The skittering sound of dislodged pebbles rose to his ears. His entrance into this new territory had not gone unnoticed. That didn't particularly surprise the man of clay, recalling the violence of his impact when he fell.

Whatever it was that was observing him seemed content to maintain its distance, for now. But the increasing frequency of the scattering of stones seemed to demonstrate that whatever was observing him was not alone.

Concern began to arise in the golem as the noises became ever more numerous and closed in on him. As the man of hardened clay tensed his musculature in preparation to flee he felt the impact against him. Sharp claws raked across his back ineffectually.

Turning to observe his assailant he was only able to observe the shadow receding into the darkness. Whatever had attacked him wasn't looking for a fight.

For several tense minutes, the golem didn't move from his position. He turned on every encroaching crunch of stone and dust, expecting another attack. Whatever had struck him before seemed uninterested in continuing the assault. But, his audience didn't seem willing to walk away from the curious creature in their territory.

The golem, satisfied that no further attack was imminent, began to move along the path he had previously chosen. His entourage followed at a safe distance, escorting the intruder out of their territory.

The skittering of his audience aside, the golem moved through the charred landscape blindly. He had no idea where he was headed, only the receding blue light of the column that rose into the sky stood as a landmark to where he had been. The flames that bled out from the ground offered visibility of the terrain that he was passing over, but little else.

In the darkness of this abyss, time was an irrelevant construct. Minutes, hours, and days could elapse and the golem would have no means to determine the difference between them.

Over time the skittering movements of his audience thinned out until, once more, the man of clay was alone in the dark underworld. At least, as far as the man could tell.

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The golem continued his travels undeterred. Wandering, the occasional movement would prick his ears to attention. But, no further encounters were engaged.

The column of light that ascended into the abyss above became ever more distant as the golem traveled across the sundered landscape.

The golem thought back on his interaction with Roland. He had no idea who the man was. The cloaked figure had seemed confident that they would meet again, but as the man built from clay moved through the hellish landscape he wondered if that was even possible.

The man had claimed to have made the golem's body. It didn't make sense to the golem. But then, little made sense here.

As he continued his journey across the jagged terrain, the golem thought about the sequence of events that had led to him wandering in this wilderness. He had no recollection of what had occurred before Roland had found him. Roland had said that the golem had lost his body, he wondered vainly what that meant. How could he lose his body? More questions than answers, and Roland wasn't even there to ask.

As he walked on, lost in thought, the golem crossed a well-worn path in the darkness. Almost missing the path beneath his feet, the golem looked down just in time to notice the distinct groove of traffic along the path. The ambient light from the molten flame that cracked through the soil that was scattered along the landscape gave him just enough light to see the path at his feet.

Taking a long moment to examine the trail, the golem hoped to see a sign of recent travel along the path. But, none was observable. Opting to follow the path away from the direction he had come, the man of clay moved forward along the path.

He wondered what had formed the trail as he walked upon it. In this desolate wasteland, it seemed likely that the traffic had been that of beasts. This was not the land of men.

The trail was relatively straight, with gentle curves that meandered through the darkness. Fiery rifts along the path served to define the trail's perimeter.

Time stretched on endlessly, without definition. The only constant was the motion of one foot leading the other. The golem felt neither hunger nor exhaustion from the monotonous travel. But, uncertainty clouded the man of clay's mind.

Where was he going? What was the place he had come to?

The darkness was oppressive in this place. The blue light of the column from which he had descended had long since disappeared from the horizon. The trail was the only guide in this dark landscape. And, the man of clay doubted the trail led anywhere.

Occasionally, the path seemed to disappear at his feet. It would take him some time to backtrack to where the trail had ended and examine the surrounding area to find it once more. The trail seemed little more than an animal crossing worn into the ground by steady travel over years in the darkness.

Overhead, the sound of swishing air could be heard. As though large wings were sweeping across the air. The sound of whatever flew above his head would fade and return as the golem kept up his transit across the desolate plains of this dark hell.

The faint path of the animal trail broke out across a significantly wider path. There was no mistaking the trail now. The golem had found a road. Deep grooves were carved into the stone roadway where wagon wheels had worn down the bedrock.

For the first time since he had found the animal crossing, excitement bubbled up inside the clay man. At last, a sign of people had been found in this barren wilderness.

Without any sign to guide his travel, the man chose a direction and began to walk.

He thought of Roland as he walked along the road. He hoped to meet another such man soon. Someone that he could ask all the questions that had crossed his mind without answer. The golem recalled the last thing Roland had said to him, "You'll have to tell me your name when we meet again."

Roland wanted to know the golem's name. But, the man made of clay didn't have a name. At least, not that he knew of.

"Clay..." The golem said the word pensively. He had been formed of clay and mud. The mud had crumbled to dust along with much of the clay. But, as the golem examined the stone-hard physique that had remained after his body had shattered, he understood that it was hard-baked clay that had remained.

"Clay." The man of clay said once more. It sounded familiar to him, he liked the name.

As Clay walked the road he began to feel more optimistic about his journey. No longer was he a nameless wanderer on an animal trail, he had a name. He no longer doubted that he would meet Roland again.

The whoosh of air being gathered beneath large wings again raised alarm in Clay's mind. These weren't the distant flaps he had heard earlier. These were close. And, getting closer.

Clay began to run, his eyes well-adjusted to the dim lighting of the road. As he began to run he heard a loud clattering from the location he'd just been standing in. Not wasting any time to look back, Clay sprinted forward.

His legs pounded heavily against the roadway, hard stone against hard stone. The terrain became a blur to his eyes the dim red and orange lights that leaked up from the ground flowed into a stream as the golem barreled past them. Despite his hopes for some form of cover, the desolate plain remained empty of all but scattered rocks. There was nothing he could use to hide from his aerial pursuers.

The wings that trailed behind him renewed their efforts. And, despite the considerable speed at which Clay ran, the flying assailants easily kept up with the fleeing golem.

While he focused on running, Clay felt the powerful impact. The weight of the blow sent the artificial man tumbling forward. Momentarily dazed by the attack, Clay began to lift himself from the ground. Once more he prepared his powerful legs to propel himself on.

Before he was able to find his footing, a heavy net was thrown over him. Despite efforts to untangle himself from the netting, he was restrained. The fabric that wove itself around him clung to his stone skin, and the more he struggled against the weave the tighter its hold on him became.

Becoming aware of his captive state, Clay grew less resistant. The wings circled overhead. Clay could just barely make out the outline of giant wings against the pitch-black void that rose above them.

There were several sets of wings gently gliding on the wind above the golem. The occasional heavy flap granted more purchase as they careened overhead. Two sets of wings cascaded down to the ground nearby.

Clay watched as two shadows dismounted from the flying beasts. These two individuals came to the golem lying in a tangled mess.

"It's a naked dwarf," the closer of the two said.

A dwarf? The word sounded foreign to Clay's ears, yet at the same time made the golem feel nostalgic.

"It's not a dwarf." The other responded.

"Really?" The first asked, a note of disappointment in his voice. "How can you tell?"

"The limbs are too long. It looks human. But, definitely not a normal one."

Clay stared blankly up at the two men standing over him. He'd been hoping for a chance to find people, but the situation was not at all as he'd imagined it would be.

"Could you, please, release me?" Clay asked dubiously.

The two figures that stood over him took a moment before they responded.

"No." The second shadow said flatly.

The two assailants came up to Clay and rigged a rope to the net, making sure that the net fully encompassed the golem. Then, they ran another rope between them. They joined the rope on either end to their flying beasts.

Clay watched their work in silence. He had no idea what they were planning to do with him, but it seemed obvious that they were taking him with them. The loss of his freedom was upsetting, but at least he wouldn't be wandering blindly in the dark anymore.

Satisfied with their work, the two men mounted their beasts. Leathery wings struggled against the empty air. The dust of the ground blew up in gusts as the two flying creatures gained elevation to join their company above. The slack in the rope drew tight, and Clay felt the net he was bound by getting drawn upward and off the ground.

As he rose into the air, Clay noticed the temperature change almost immediately. Whereas the ground was toasted by the thermal energy released by the flames that bled upwards, the open air was relatively cool. Clay watched as the ground receded from view.

The change in view provided a new perspective on the world he had come to. All across the plain below he saw the orange and red fissures that spouted flame into the eternal darkness of this place. But, with the changed view, Clay was able to see in the distance long streams of glowing light. Rivers of molten flame that meandered across the territory.

The golem wondered how anyone could live in such an unwelcoming environment. It wasn't that the place lacked beauty. The hellish landscape was very beautiful with shadow and flame. But, for his captors, Clay could only wonder why they would remain here.

They flew on for some time. Clay soaking in the beautiful desolation below. Above, only the faintest silhouettes of his captors winged beasts.

The meandering rivers of flame began to converge. The plain below began to bear significant illumination, and Clay was able to see that the land was covered with many cave entrances. The mouths of the caves varied in size dramatically.

As the rivers below converged into a single giant lake of burning rock, Clay saw on the horizon what looked to be a towering castle. The fortified structure sat on an island in the middle of the lake. It was massive.

The flying company began to descend, approaching the castle below. Clay watched as the molten lake rose to meet them. Despite his certainty that they wouldn't drop him into the glowing currents, Clay felt significant discomfort at the sudden proximity to the lake.

They cleared the lake and flew in close to the castle. They slowed their approach, Clay swaying back and forth in his net as the pair of flying beasts synchronized their approach. They hovered over a wall built of black stone, its outside charred under the intense heat of the lake that surrounded it.

The net that held the golem collapsed to the ground. The ropes that ran up to the flying beasts were severed from above and slapped the ground as they fell. His captors flew a short distance away and left him in a tangled mess. Rushing out from the shelter of the castle, six men came to Clay's undignified mess.

Six spear tips were aimed down at Clay, the light gleaming off the sharp metal. For a few tense moments, Clay glanced from one shining point to the next. Four figures approached from the direction the flying beasts had landed. One of them strode forward to look down on Clay.

"Welcome to Sijjin."