Dice! Dice damn it! By the Crown but that was a brilliant ploy! I knew there would be a contest with an agent of the underworld and I had taken pains to be well schooled in all manner of riddles and tests of skill, but dice, there was no preparation for that game! Fortunately Fate was kind to me in games of chance in my life before and those good graces had carried over into my new existence, I was not greatly delayed, but I was slightly drained. I saw that my rivals had dispatched two lycanthropes prior to my arrival so I was well prepared when one of the creatures came to assault me. The beast that I had taken from the woman was of great benefit, its skill and endurance had made the difference between victory and defeat.

This landscape played tricks on one’s sight; it was as if this small pocket of the universe was designed to allow one to see all happenings within its boundaries. Ahead was the woman I needed to kill, she had the Talisman I needed. Beyond was the sword slinger, he would be a hard one to beat so I must drink deeply from the woman to be ready for that challenge. The horned beast I had claimed would help in that battle as well; I had used my final bit of sorcery in order to gain on these enemies. It had folded time ‘round itself and I had closed the gap and now I was with in striking distance of my Kingship.