Darkness appeared to his right.
He turned.
He was in a dark mine corridor, lit by sparse, dim lamps along the walls. His hands were bound in shackles. A pickaxe was in his hands. Ahead of him, a line of people just like him, also chained, was moving down the corridor. To the left stood a large, grim-looking overseer with a whip in his hand.
"Prisoner! Do you need a special invitation?" the overseer said when he saw him standing still. He shifted his hand threateningly, bringing the whip closer.
The Cursed moved after the others.
The deeper they went into the mine, the darker it became around them.
From the depths came strange, hissing sounds that stirred ancient instincts and sent a chill down the spine.
The prisoner walking ahead stumbled, glanced at the Cursed, and said:
"There's an old legend. It says that long ago, lizard-men came to our planet from space. They were cruel and greedy. They dug endless tunnels here to mine gold. They drove human slaves down here and forced them to work.
They didn't manage to take all the gold—someone stopped them. So they killed all the slaves and left. But they say that deep below, lizard guardians still remain, guarding the gold that was never mined, mercilessly killing anyone who tries to claim it.
The lizard-men—also called reptiloids. It's possible we're heading straight into their lair."
As if to confirm his words, new, numerous hissing sounds rose from deep within the mine. Many of the prisoners flinched, glancing around in alarm. But the overseers drove them forward.
Death came out of the darkness. Fast and merciless. By the time the first screams rang out, it was already too late. Prisoners were hurled into the air and smashed against the walls. The most experienced ones barely had time to raise their picks. Large bloody stains spread across the stone.
Relentless and evil, death was closing in. Tall, gaunt, humanoid lizard creatures charged out of the depths of the corridor, slicing through the flesh of helpless victims with long swords.
The Cursed met them with the blade that appeared in his hand.
Two strikes—and the first two lizards fell dead. The slaughter continued. The Cursed surged forward, straight into the thick of the carnage. He saw one overseer torn apart. He drove his sword to the hilt into the nearest reptiloid. Then into the next.
Baring their maws lined with long, sharp teeth, they darted around before him. They seemed thrown into confusion by the fact that a victim had appeared who not only fought back, but deliberately began to defeat them.
Several more lizard-men were killed. The remaining three turned and fled. The Cursed caught up with them and beheaded them.
He was left alone in the dark mine.
From somewhere deep below, new hissing cries echoed.
He moved forward cautiously, keeping his blood-stained sword at the ready.
Contrary to expectations, the darkness ahead gave way to distant lights. They were approaching. Hissing cries echoed from there. The Cursed saw a vast cavern, filled with dozens of large, elongated white spheres. The space was illuminated by ancient lamps on the walls. He had never seen devices like these before. In the middle of the cavern sat a massive, toothy creature. It resembled a dragon from ancient legends. The creature noticed him and let out a wild, piercing roar. The Cursed saw a white, elongated sphere fall from the lower part of its body. It was the creature's clutch, and he had ended up in the middle of its horrific nest.
The creature surged forward like a hurricane. There was no time to think. Magic of spatial distortion. On the move, the monster flattened, as if struck by a giant hammer. Then it vanished completely. One more flick of his hand, and the entire clutch was destroyed.
From the other side came the clang of an iron grate. The Cursed turned and saw iron bars blocking the corridor. He was inside a prison cell. Against one wall, a half-collapsed skeleton was shackled with rusty chains. The air reeked. The waste pit was filled with excrement.
The Cursed approached the grate and peered outside. A long corridor stretched ahead, lit by sparse torches on the walls.
Two unfamiliar flames floated ahead. Beneath them were large crooked teeth, bared in a horrific smile.