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Pain pressed in from every direction, suffocating me until I knew nothing but darkness.
Sharp grit dug into my cheek, my entire body ached like I'd been run over by a cart, and something tugged at my hair repeatedly.
I slapped at it and dragged my eyes open.
Midday sun blinded me, and I squinted to see a small bird-like creature with six long legs and a hooked beak craning its neck at me.
I sat up straight, shooing away the bird, trying not to vomit as my head swam.
Fuck. My entire body ached!
I looked down at my arms and groaned. They pulsed like they had in that shop, and my nails burned.
At least the potion had worked — for the most part.
Getting to my feet, I brushed sand off my clothes and took stock of my situation.
Dark cliffs surrounded the narrow cove I'd washed up in, broken only by a small stream that led up and out to a dense forest of blue-green trees.
It was surprisingly beautiful for being the home to the most vile creatures in the world.
Very beautiful … except that smell. It almost reminded me of —
A misshapen four-legged creature stumbled out of the forest, purple mottled skin split and peeling.
My stomach lurched as a chunk of flesh broke free from the ghoul's shoulder, then plopped to the ground. I reached to my side and pulled my ax free, glad it had remained in the sheath attached to my belt.
Gods. I hated wraiths — especially ghouls.
I dropped into a fighting stance, preparing to cut the twisted creature to pieces, but the world spun haphazardly around me, and my skin prickled. I looked down — my arms were expanding, cording with muscle — my fingers now thicker and longer around my weapon.
What the fuck?
Focus. I needed to focus. The potion must have side-effects.
I just needed to kill the wraith. I'd killed dozens of ghouls before, and this would be no different.
Three more wraiths lumbered from the forest — one a shade-type and the other two ghouls.
Damn. I knew coming to the Isle would be dangerous, but I hadn't anticipated my arrival to go so wrong so quickly. For some stupid reason, I thought I'd have some time to acclimate myself.
I searched for an escape route, but the monsters blocked the only exit. It was either return to the ocean or face the four creatures lumbering toward me.
A commotion behind the wraiths drew my attention as a half-dozen forms slipped from the forest. Men and women with homespun clothes and not a weapon between them.
Kings above! Now I needed to keep them safe as well? What were they even doing here?
I waved my hands wildly. "Get away! This is dangerous!" My voice was barely a croak, but surely they understood the situation …
"Then start shielding, you fool!" the man in front shouted back, his cropped white hair shifting in the breeze. He made some sort of hand signal to his group, and they nodded back.
I stared in horror as, one by one, their bodies began to smoke, then rapidly lengthened and stretched.
Holy Kings! I took a step backward while tightening my grip around my ax.
Wraiths and body mages!
There was no way I could take them all on. Perhaps I could break through them, though …
