“It is time for you to receive your reward Zara. Please head back to the office, someone will be with you shortly.” Buddie said.

“No! Take me to Ed. Or at least tell me where he is, or I won’t leave.” Zara stood firm in the room, waiting for Buddie to tell her.

“That is not something for you to know Zara. Now go back to the office and wait like you are supposed to.” Buddie commanded.

Zara froze. Her body walked through the door on its own, reappearing in the office where she was forced to wait patiently. Why won’t he tell me? What is he doing to Ed? Lost in her inner turmoil, Zara didn’t notice when someone appeared at her desk.

“Please follow me.” The person said.

Huh? Looking up at the noise, Zara saw a short, stout looking man standing next to her desk. The man was barely over a metre tall with a scruffy beard on his pointy chin. A set of spiral horns adorned his head, and as she looked down, she saw that he had a pair of goat’s legs.

The man clapped to get her attention before briskly walking away.

I guess there’s nothing I can do... I might as well see what’s going on. Regaining control of her body, she followed behind the man.

Stepping through the door, she found herself in a familiar feeling room. The harsh smell of antiseptic filled her nose as she looked at the pristine white floor. Around the room were various drawers and cabinets filled with medical supplies. In the centre of the room was a lone hospital bed.

“What are we doing here?” Zara asked, looking confused.

“Please lie down on the bed. Buddie will tell you everything shortly.” Having brought Zara to the room, the man made sure to leave as soon as possible.

What’s going on? Left alone in the room, she decided it was for the best to follow the instructions given to her. Lying down on the bed, her body immediately froze in place, with her head being the only thing she could still control.

“Buddie? What’s going on?” She began to panic.

“This is just a simple preventative measure to make sure you don’t hurt yourself. You will regain control of your body when the procedure has finished.”

“What are you talking about?” Zara asked.

“This is your reward for redeeming a sinner. We have found that the genetic makeup of humans is far more varied and interesting than their current appearance would lead you to believe. Many creatures that you know from myth had once communed with ancient humans. And sometimes, their bloodline can still be found in humans alive today. This procedure is to help awaken whatever bloodline is in your body.” As Buddie was speaking, the ceiling opened up, and a series of clear tubes dropped down, dangling above Zara.

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The tubes came to life under Buddie’s control, moving smoothly and attached themselves to Zara’s body.

“Uugh.” She groaned painfully as the tubes pierced through her skin, sinking into her body. A radiant blue liquid flowed through the pipes into her body. She felt her blood start to boil as it fought against the foreign substance. The pain was agonising as it felt like her entire body was melting.

The skin on her back began to ripple, as something tried to break free. The tubes lifted her body off the bed as the rippling of her flesh intensified. Her back tore apart as two wings unfurled themselves behind her, spraying blood and flesh onto the once pristine floor.

~

Slowly cresting another hill, Ed had finally made it to the outskirts of the town. The buildings were an eclectic mix of different architectural styles, haphazardly placed as if there was no planning or forethought involved during the construction. What’s going on here?

Stumbling into town, he immediately felt the air cool down around him. As if he had walked through an invisible barrier, the sun no longer felt as intense as it had been before.

He found creatures of all shapes and sizes walking the streets. It wasn’t until he saw an imp walk by that everything he had experienced fell into place. Am I in Hell? He froze in place at this revelation, leading to someone walking directly into his back, sending him tumbling to the ground.

“What’s your problem asshole!” a massive human with a bull skull for a head towered over Ed, glaring at him.

“Sorry, It's my fault.” Ed stood up and tried to apologised to the man with his raspy and cracked voice.

“You’re damn right it is.” He grumbled while walking away.

That could’ve gone better. Looking around, he decided to keep moving further into town. I need water. Eventually, he spotted a dusty wooden sign on the front wall of a building, telling him that it was a bar. Guess this will have to do.

Stepping foot into the bar, Ed was immediately immersed in its atmosphere. The bar was crowded with people knocking back drinks, finding whatever enjoyment they could. Below the noisy din of the crowd, Ed could hear music coming from the opposite end of the room. Looking across the room, he saw a live band performing in the corner.

Stepping up to the bar, he found a spare stool to sit down on and flagged down the bartender.

“Ooh boy, do you look like shit. What can I get for ya?” The bartender was a short and stocky imp. One of her horns looked as if it had been snapped off, sticking out at half the height of the other, and ending in a jagged crown.

“Water.” He barely managed to eke out before breaking out into a coughing fit.

Running off to the side, the bartender returned with a large jug of water. As she bent down to find a glass, Ed grabbed the jug and guzzled down as much as he could. Standing up with the glass in hand, she watched as half of the jug was emptied in a matter of seconds.

“Slow down! We’ve still got plenty of water lying around, there’s no need to rush. You’re actin' like you haven’t seen water in days.”

Finishing the water, Ed slammed the jug on the counter. “I haven’t.”

“Now that can’t be right. The train always has drinks on board.” She looked him up and down, noticing his burnt skin covered in ash, dirt and grime. She had a sneaking suspicion that there was something different about his story. “Do you remember what town you came from?”

“I didn’t come from a town.” Ed said, his voice still somewhat hoarse and raspy.

“Didn’t come from a town? Where did you come from hun?” She asked, concerned.

“I don’t know, I’ve been lost out there for days.”

“But sinners always spawn in towns or cities. And you certainly don’t look like a lost soul.”

Sinners? Lost souls? What’s going on? Several questions flew through Ed’s mind

A drunk man stood up from his chair and stumbled over to the bar. “Get me another drink, Kathy.”

“I’ll be right there Jim.” She called out before turning back to Ed. “You’re prolly very confused. How about I get ya something to eat, then I’ll answer all your questions when I’ve cleared this place out. I’m coming Jim!” She went to walk away before turning back. “Welcome to Hell!”