Defenders of Valontra (LitRPG Series Collision on Mongro Book 1)

Chapter 3

I STAND ON THE SLOPE of the hill, surrounded by some strange shrubs. They don't have leaves, just flat sectioned stems, branching in all directions, reminding me of some desert succulent. Their color is crimson and purple.

I take a deep breath and smell the cloyingly sweet scent of flowers mixed with the iodine smell of the sea. I turn my head and look around. The sea must be just down behind the rocks at the bottom of the hill. It seems like dusk, the sun is hanging low on my left. Or, it may be dawn, I have no idea what time it is. I see some movement down the hill through the gap in branches. Ducking, I take a few careful steps forward.

The scene in front of me brings me an absolutely crazy realization: hell was real and that's where I was. I didn't believe in any religious concept ever since I reached the age of reason, but now I was seriously doubting my reasoning, since the devil himself was here, in the flesh.

The human-shaped figure with dark red skin, ram-like horns and hooves instead of feet turns back to me. He bends down to the edge of the sea rim and helps another like them to climb up. Two red devils talk to each other in low rumbling voices. Their speech doesn't sound like words at all, not like any of the human languages I'd ever heard. It sounds like they roar at each other, but from their behavior and gestures it is clear that they exchange information. One of them hands something over to the other

Phew, they don't seem to notice me. I slowly shift to the thick shrubs and freeze. I try to catch and process the thoughts chaotically running through my mind. Where am I, what's going on? If I presume that I've died and gone to hell, what am I supposed to do? Wait, am I seriously thinking of it? How ridiculous is that...?

I focus on my hands pressed against the hips as I stand bent over. I still feel like I'm made of flesh, though my body feels different. I lost balance and slid down the hill, dry clots of clay running from under my feet shod in uncomfortable shoes of shiny black leather. The two creatures down the hill simultaneously turn their horned heads in my direction. They shout something. Trying to keep balance, I turn slightly right and land ten feet from them on the narrow edge of the rocky shore.

I follow the first impulse that comes to my mind: run. I spring along the narrow path along the seashore. In the corner of my eyes I see a red figure jumping from the cliff and hear a splash of water, but I don't care to look back.

All I can see far is the range of gray cliffs and yellowish hills bending around the sea. My stiff shoes, unfit for running, fall off my feet, and small rocks sting my soles, but it doesn't stop me. I run out of breath, my lungs hurt, and I feel a metallic taste of blood in my mouth.

Something bursts in my field of vision from the side of the hills. Still running, I cast a quick glance up and see a flying creature swooping down in my direction. I stop and backup, staggering, unable to shift my hypnotized gaze from the bizarre animal with a reptiloid body covered in brown, scaly skin. Its bat-like wings reach about twenty feet. I am an easy prey here, there's nowhere to hide.

Retreating, I stumble on uneven ground and fall. My heart is pumping heavily after running like crazy, but I don't feel fear. I'm already dead, it's hard to make it any worse. And still, I'm not going to give myself in to these creatures of hell without resistance. I grope the ground around me in search of any rocks to throw at the flying beast, but can't find any. I cast a desperate glance at the edge of the precipice to my left. I have nothing to lose, Hasta la vista! I spring up to my feet and dash towards the edge.

Before I can reach it, the beast darts after me and a sudden jolt gets me hanging in the air head down. I feel sharp teeth clench around my hip but the pain of it gets numbed as the demonic creature flies up.