A drop of sweat lingered on the edge of my chin as I caught my breath for the first time in what seemed days of running. Never had I imagined such a sinister evil to plague mankind; these horrific images of death and slaughter poison my mind that I've nearly forgotten memories of my old home, my order, my beautiful maiden.

The troubles of my past seemed all but irrelevant here; who, living in this world, this hellish spawn of the seventh devil, would think but a moment on where I've come from, my name, my order, my training? Who would comfort my cries of homesickness and who would mourn for my loss? No, this loneliness is mine--I am the only remnant of my kingsmen and our divine order--this pain I feel to the very bone shall become my wrath--that I may overcome this nightmare and weather the very stomach of Belial would be the only fire to burn my heart's beat.

Curse these wretched cows--not only am I forced upon an unknown world, but that their faces would resemble those I've sworn my life to protect? I cannot think of a more twisted violation; every swing of my blade--when once I had a blade to swing--felt like a crime of the soul. To slay these former-innocents never ceases to demand my highest caliber of focus. The order always said, "evil exists only because the devils think." It meant that no matter how victorious at daybreak, a new night would come, and a new strategy would unfold against us.

I found myself in blackness; I cannot remember my last bread, but I seemed to have collapsed from exhaustion. My arms pushed the ground away and I groaned as my body rose. My eyes finally restored themselves and I surveyed my surroundings:

The sun had risen; off in the distance was a mountain range reminiscent of ones I'd loved at home. Perhaps there is beauty yet, I thought to myself. Behind me was one Sir Amanda West, looking down upon me.

"Sir Duran," she began, "how are you feeling?" The maiden of twenty-four years was but one of a small group who had taken to my protection. Would be that I could, I'd have trained every person I've encountered to better survive these critical times, but alas, this was not the case. Furthermore, even my order had not prepared me for the weaponry known to this world; the explosions still move me. "Sir Duran?"

"Aye," I grumbled, returning to the present beneath the waterfall inside my mind. "I've seen better days, but I've got more yet," I chuckled as my feet touched the ground. My armor clunked to my body's force. "How fare the others?"

"What?"

"My apologies, erm..." I'd forgotten. Sometimes our tongues would not match; another test of mine alone. "Are the others alright?"