In another deep forest, three people moved cautiously. They took their time and checked every spot before moving on. Peter had long since realized they were near the tomb's general area. After a few hours of searching, Skylar finally spotted a strange-looking boulder. Forests often have boulders, but this one was just too large and oddly round. The three exchanged glances before approaching it. Peter and Xaidon tried to move it but made no progress, not even an inch. Skylar sighed and stepped in to help. As soon as her fingers touched the rock, they all began to glow. Then, they vanished.
The forest was silent and seemed normal again as if no one had just disappeared into thin air.
Peter and Skylar appeared in a different forest. It was bright, and they could see the end of it. "What just happened?" Peter asked, still looking around.
"How am I supposed to know? It's your family inheritance." Skylar replied, glancing at him. "Where's Xaidon?"
Before they could search for him, they heard a noise not too far away. Peter paused and then headed toward it, with Skylar close behind. As they got closer, Peter realized it was the sound of battle—and strangely enough, human voices.
They reached the source and hid behind some trees.
In a clear field, about five people fought against a dozen or so beasts. The beasts resembled lizards, but what made them dangerous was that they were on fire—literally, they were covered in blazing red flames. They stood about three feet tall, with sharp claws and tails aiding their attacks. As Peter and Skylar watched, they saw that all the fighters were experts. They coordinated perfectly and looked likely to win.
"We should help them." Skylar said, drawing her bow and arrow.
"Why would we do that?" Peter asked, curious.
"They're going to win this fight, and if we want to know what's going on and how to get out of here, we need to make a good first impression." she replied. As she spoke, she aimed her bow at the eye of a lizard beast. These beasts were rank 3. They'd be tough for the average fighter but manageable for experts if they knew what they were doing. The beast with the eye injury didn't die; instead, it was distracted, and its opponent struck and killed it.
Skylar moved on to deal with the remaining beasts, and within minutes, all the lizards were dead. The group of humans looked over at Skylar and Peter, who now revealed themselves. They stared for a while before moving on to harvest the lizards' scales and meat. A woman with blonde hair and a scar running from her neck down approached them, staying silent for a moment.
"Thank you for your help. We'll give you 10 percent of the loot." she said, then turned to leave but was stopped by Peter.
"Excuse me, but can I ask who you are?" Peter inquired. The woman turned and looked at him in silence. He continued, "And can you please explain where we are?"
She frowned and looked down. "When did you come here?"
Peter glanced at Skylar before answering. "We just arrived and heard your fight. So, we decided to come and check it out."
She paused for a moment before sighing. "My name is Larla." She then pointed to her group. "This is my people. I'm sure you've been told this is an inheritance. Sorry to disappoint, but this is no inheritance. This is hell."
—————
More than twenty miles from them, a man fought a beast. He wasn't badly hurt and was still struggling. The beast before him was from the cat family, with jet-black fur. It stood nearly four to five feet tall. Xaidon was doing his best to hold his ground and fight the beast. The beast was trying just as hard to hunt him.
"This is just great. Just when I land in this strange place, this stupid beast attacks me." Xaidon stared at it, thinking of how to handle the situation. What bothered him most was that nearby, an older man was sitting atop a tree, watching.
"This old bastard isn't even helping." Xaidon shook his head and looked back at the rank 3 beast. He had to focus if he wanted to survive and win.
The fight continued. The beast was faster, stronger, and quite intelligent for a beast. Xaidon felt like he was up against a master—or at least a weak one. Still, he didn't give up, attacking furiously. They fought fiercely, each trying to bring the other down.
The beast's strategy was simple: it wanted to use its body to suppress Xaidon and then finish him. Recognizing this, Xaidon devised a plan. As the battle raged, the beast lunged at him, aiming for his legs. Xaidon took a risk, staying put. Just as the beast closed in, he side-stepped and, with both hands and his sword, struck the beast's neck. His sword connected, drawing blood. Because of the fur and flesh, it didn't go deep. Before he could strike again, the beast's tailswiped him twice across the face, forcing him to jump back and cover his injuries.
The beast rose to its feet and dashed into the woods, escaping the fight. Just as Xaidon was about to pursue, the older man suddenly appeared in front of him.
"I wouldn't if I were you." the man said.
Xaidon frowned. "And why's that?"
The man chuckled. "Simple—nothing survives here alone. You were lucky it was only this one and the others aren't nearby."
He paused. "Don't worry; these beasts are petty, and once they've healed, they'll come back for you."
Xaidon sighed and looked at him. "What is this place, anyway?"
The man remained quiet for a moment. "Some call it hell... but for me, and for what it truly is, it's a prison. A prison for the fallen prince."