From Nowhere

PROLOGUE

So this is the Cor, Kione mused, head tilted back as his eyes roved over the towering beast in all its splendour. He guessed it was around three times his own height, covered from head to toe in charcoal scales. It was hard to believe this creature was once a Hellhound like himself. Now it looked half-serpent!

The toes of its massive paws were long and bony, each ending in a hooked talon. Its body was sinewy with clearly defined bones, muscles, and veins, the armour-like skin on its back rising in a sharp ridge along its spine. Between its jagged shoulder blades and deep chest protracted three long, flexible necks. The only parts of it that looked distinctly canine were its heads, though they, too, were distorted. Its flat-topped, lipless snouts were lined with metallic fangs, pulsing orange light that matched its eyes filtering out from between them. Atop each head was a pair of tall, tapering ears, alongside which goat horns of unnatural proportions had melded with its skull.

Its fiery orbs bore no pupils, yet Kione could feel the Cor's gaze trained on him, scorching his coriaceous hide.

"An odd request," it rumbled, each throat's voice discordant with the other two, the different tones scraping against one another like sheets of metal. "But I see no reason to refuse. The moment the war is rekindled, your temporary vessel - should it endure that long - shall be abandoned and your soul returned to Hell. Understood?"

Kione bowed his head in respectful affirmation, feeling the weight of his heavy helmet, adorned with a pair of far less impressive horns, shift forward.

"There is one more thing you must know," the Cor added. "Eyes are windows through which one's soul can be seen. You are a creature of Hell, therefore anyone who looks directly into your eyes shall gaze directly into our realm. Bear this in mind. May you find what you seek."

In a blink, everything Kione had ever known was gone. His mortal life had begun.

***

A/N: Yes, this was very short, but actual chapters will be longer. I'm just editing Chapter 1 now, so it should be uploaded soon. If you're interested to see more, leave a comment! All my old work was not so great (I don't recommend reading it), as I was trying to write with writer's block, but I think this one will be better. For the first time, I actually know where I'm going with the story, which is pretty exciting!

Oh, and the cover, story, and characters are all 100% original creations. They are mine. Do not steal them. I figured I should say that somewhere.

Anyway, thanks for reading! I hope you stick around for more. ^^