My tiredness had accumulated on my way here, I can feel my muscles having little spams, I was sweating in places that I don't want to mention, ¿But why did I have energy yet? Or was something else that drove me, ¿was it rage or defiance? I don't know, that thing perturbed me in all the way here and I'm sure of one thing, I reached the spear and took it pointing it at the beast, Its movement was ridiculous, it zigzagged at an abysmal speed to my eyes, it reached me in seconds and knocked me to the bush wall with the paw, making me lose the air in my lungs, it didn't even use the claws, this bastard was toying with me, "it thinks that I'm a toy... I'm going to make that thing regret it" I got up with the help of the spear in my hands and started to walk towards it, accelerating little by little until I was jogging, intending to impale the spear in its throat, the beast noted my intention because it accepted the challenge with a howl from the dog face, the boar was salivating, and the tail skittering with its legs, it jumped to my right trying to flank me, I stopped dry and pointed the spear at the dog's face and pushed making a tiny scratch in the cheek, gaining a gnarl and a sweep to my legs with the centipede tail, making me lose my balance and the result was, that I fell backward, that fucker tried to attack me with the claws, I rolled to the left and got up the fastest that I could, If I wanted to hurt that thing right I needed to get rid of the tail, that hurts my plans to get out of here alive.

I began to scan the floor for something that can protect me and maybe cut the tail if I got close enough, with my vision I found a shield and by its side an ax, they were some meters away, I ran for both with the Chimera following. While I was running I got an idea that could slow down the beast, with the spear still in my hands I slid in the ground nailing it like a stake with the point facing the Chimera, it didn't expect that, because the Boar head got impaled in the center, the dog one was growling and barking in pain, and the tail was sweeping randomly everywhere, with this distraction I took the shield and the ax, and with the chimera still trying to draw the spear out, I approached one of its sides and began to escalate, being careful of the tail and the paws trying to attack me, but with its state of panic I reached the top safely, with some force I cleaved the ax to where I saw was the base of the tail and the blood was expulsed explosively, It looked like I cut a principal vein, irritated the chimera tried to shake me to fall, I put the shield in my back and clung hard to its fur and began cleaving the ax once again, my arms went numb due to the exercise, is the most strength I have ever used in my life, but I didn’t stop, the centipede tail tried to knock me, but it didn’t have the reach or only touched were the shield was, that by itself was lucky as fuck, but the tail could do nothing to stop me, and it was almost cut in half, the blood inundated the dirt floor.

The tail fell with a snap and continued moving a little until it didn't, but the beast was furious, it jumped and kicked me off its back, it rolled in the ground ignoring the broken spear in the boar head, it was only the dog head, and it looked at me with primal rage, The Chimera pounced at me, it didn't want to play anymore, the ax got stuck where the tail was, I needed something else to defend myself, I took the shield out, and evited being shredded to smithereens by the claws, but got pushed away letting go of the shield, I was in the ground again, I got up and saw a dagger nearby, I saw the shield broken on the floor and the Chimera looking at me and with the disposition to attack me, I needed to finish this, I was tired, I wanted to cry, to call for help, but no one will come, I only got myself, my energy was drained, and that bastard didn’t look better than me, it lost two of his parts, a lot of blood, or well what I think is a lot of his blood, i reached the dagger and when i took it, that thing knocked me down and slashed at my chest, i think that gave me a contusion and some scratches in the chest also out of air again in my lungs you fucking piece of shit, it didnt reach my flesh because of the hoodie i was wearing, "Yeah i sleep with a hoodie, fuck you all, is cold in my room" It got on top of me and I put the dagger in his right eye, making it yelp, but it didnt stop trying to bite me, i stopped him with my legs in his neck and pushed the dagger more and more inside his eye socket, covering me with more blood.

— ¡DIE YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH, JUST DIE! —I pulled the dagger out and inserted it again in its eye with rage, it reached the brain, the thing fell on top of me, smashing my body with all its weight, I began to crawl outside carefully, walking away of the pestilence of its maw, and with that moment, I took a breath in the floor, basking in the glory of defeating such a beast, but the guilt invaded me, I killed a living being, this had moral weight for me, I couldn't stomach it and vomited on the floor, I did to survive, but ¿why I feel so miserable? I squashed ants and other bugs all my life, and never got any revulsion about it, but this, I didn't look at the creature and started walking away looking for an exit.

— I hope this is the end, I don't wish to see another one of those...

With my body weak, I discarded the hoodie to the ground, it was filled with blood and it disgusted me to no limit, "I don't want to lose more from my stomach" Some distance away I found an entrance far away from where I entered this arena.

— I guess I have to follow the yellow road —I followed the new road of the labyrinth until I found an exit, this takes me to a clear with a river with a decorative awning or hut without walls by the side, like one of those you see in big parks, it looked perfect to get some rest.

— If this is hell why it has gardens, labyrinths and clears with rivers, I think I got to the wrong place while I was sleeping

I walked towards that place I was surrounded by bushes and some trees of variant species, while I was walking towards the hut I saw a figure seated in one of the benches, I wondered if that was Aishti.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

— It must know how to get me out of this place, It did the other time

I finished walking the road that was missing and saw a girl with an age more or less contemporary with me, she wore a loose dress black in color, large sleeves and some details in a gothic style in purple, she had long wavy hair silver in color, her ears were a little pointed, from her lower back sprouted two delicate and stylized wings black as night, there was a thin tail that ended in three points, she too have two pearly white horns sprouting from the sides of the head, going forward and curving towards the front and up, like a regal crown or tiara, and I was seeing her from behind, when I was getting closer, I heard her voice with clarity for the first time, it was penetrating and beautiful, she had an accent that only had the ladies of high lineage, or so I think, and an incomprehensible calmness.

— So, you killed the guardian, I congratulate you, some besiegers tried to defeat him with techniques and all that, but they never accomplished in what you did in cold blood, well but your case was different, you tried to exit the labyrinth ¿is it not? I think you earned the right to be called by your name" She had eyes similar to those of a cat, the Iris was of a vibrant and deep blue, that seemed to change with turquoise and had the contour of the pupil a little thick, her face is beautiful, almost hypnotic by itself, it was thin and pale, delicate features but strong, and she possessed a haughty aura that made me uncomfortable in my position.

— Eh... hi... ¿should I call you in some kind of royalty title? because this place looks like some kind of mansion

— No, it's not necessary, but some subordinates of my father call me "Princess Aishti"

— So, you are an underworld princess, and if that is that, why is this place called The Kingdom of Shadows

— This is only a portion of what you refer to "Hell" in your religions and cultures, there are thousands of Kingdoms scattered around the underworld, they are more like territories, but we like to be respected, and every one of them receives souls depending if they have vacant for the new, not everyone here is a Demon, there is also, condemned and neutrals that decide to live in one of these territories instead of being in the desolated wastelands that we call Purgatory, you are the latter case, with the exception that you can come and go without the necessity of a ritual or some kind of amulet.

— I only know that I come here when I sleep, now that I think about it, I have a lot of time here, how do I get back "Princess Aishti" —I said that jokingly.

— Hmph "She smiles" until now I can get you out because you have a deal with me, that means that I control you partially, your free will you still have, but I decide when you leave the underworld

— Ok, only you can get me out ¿Right?

— Yes...

— Well you are quite the charmer if you want me here every day, Jajaja

— Don't abuse what you have gained human Tyler

— Ok, ok, don't freak out, one step at a time —I have to be careful, or I will lose my progress with her.

— And how you do have gardens so pretty in "Hell" including this place of course

— You know, we may be demons but we have likings, not everybody would like to live in a dungeon full of craniums, bones, and guts, it doesn't have nothing nice and will diminish the respect of our subordinates towards us, well only if you are a brute and your followers are cannibals or beasts

— Wow, I expected something like eternal suffering, with fire, flagellations and endless torture to the people who come here

— That is only for the condemned, in the case of the neutrals they live like when they were living or if you are other species here in the underworld you are treated like neutral too. For example, a thief cant take nothing or even get close to something if he has the intention to steal, because he will have a bracelet in each hand connected to his soul and will explode without question making him suffer in agony for days or months even until he restores his hands.

— Ok, I don't want to know what happens to rapists

— Je, see, you got it, in your case you haven't committed no crime nor mayor sin, so you are practically clean, I'm surprised considering all the "extracurricular" content at the surface of your mind.

— Hey don't pry my head... that's weird —How did she do that.

— I can do whatever I want, this is my house, you are the uninvited guest, also is not like I could see every nook and cranny of your mind, only the surface.

— Mmmmm, you aren't so bad for a demon.

— Don't try to win me with flattery, that is pathetic.

— I wasn't trying to do that, I only said what was most exact, by the way ¿how many years you have?

— You don't ask a lady that

— Right, I won't ask again —maybe she has thousands of years, but hey, she looks good for that age.

— I think its time for you to leave to your dimension, but before that, take this —She gives me an orange stone with the center shining a dim crimson red, I put it in my pocket.

— ¿What is this?

— You will found out later, for now, this is a goodbye —she snapped her fingers and I once again was looking at the ceiling in my room, I thought that it would be later, but it was 5 a.m. I am surprised it is this early, I am sure I was hours in there.

"I feel something in my leg"  Well in my pocket to be concise, when I inspect at it, it's the orange stone that Aishti gave me, it looked off, or something like that, I decided to put it in my nightstand when it started morphing in my hand to something that looked like a gecko fused with a salamander, that thing screw in my wrist like a bracelet, I tried to get it off, but it hissed at me.

— Right, now I got a lizard bracelet, at least can you tone down the color to something more inconspicuous —It looked like it understood me and changed to something darker like Ambar but burnt, I must admit it looked awesome for a stone with life and a mind of its own, I gave goodnight to the thing in my wrist for I don't know how long and kissed the sweet dreams because I needed it, badly.