What happens when a college dropout accidentally opens up the portal to HELL in his soup? Shenanigans of course! Now, James must team up with a flamboyant scarecrow, a jaded witch, an overzealous knight, and a virgin succubus to lock away what he's...
"Ah! Do I sense a newfound fear?" A grisly voice said. James found himself sitting in a familiar chair, in a familiar checkered room, with a not so familiar stranger. Wait—it's this guy again. James blankly stared at the chessboard. The game had progressed more than he could remember. "What's this—fear of failure, is it?" The stranger's voice was sly, almost like a snake hissing at its prey. "Oh? Or is it the fear of losing someone you care deeply for? You care for that succubus, don't you? The one with the perky tits." James remained silent, keeping his sight on the board. He was in no mood to deal with this prick. The stranger smiled and revealed two rows of rotted teeth.
"Oh, you can't bear the thought of losing her. Digging her grave and leaving her to rot. She's the only woman you ever truly cared for, isn't she?" James had a sinking feeling in his chest. "Your fear emanates from you, like that time you skipped taking a shower for over a month."
James shook his head. "Fear is overrated. Like Lost. Or David Tennant."
"It is, isn't it? Fear can make you weak. All one needs is a little guidance." The stranger played with James's King piece between his spindly fingers. "I can be your guide. You haven't the slightest clue of what you are capable of. Not yet." The stranger's king moved forward on its own. "I can purge your fear."
"Yeah, right." James scoffed.
The stranger cackled, and James saw the pieces on the board shift against him. A small mirror slid across the board, knocking the pieces off. The little soldiers crashed against the checkered floor.
"Look into your reflection and tell me what you see."
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James bolted upright. He was dizzy, and his vision was hazy. It took a long moment for him to adjust to his surroundings. He was back at Elyse's place. James rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Fractured visions of his dream haunted him, gnawing at his mind, taunting him. James tried desperately to remember what he saw in that mirror, in the twisted landscape of his mind. He searched his memories, but it slipped from him like a bar of mental soap. But more importantly, who was the stranger that's been frequenting his dreams? Was he really dreaming in the first place?
Elyse barged in through the front door. "Hey man, I had a long day, fucking clowns and their obsession with pie-ing witches in their cooters. James, can you find Crowsblood for me? He's either at his Inn or screwing around at his post in the garden. We may have a lead on Justice's location," she dragged James out of bed and tossed him out the window. James screamed as he plummeted face-first to the ground. Inches from his death, he felt his stomach fly into his throat. An invisible force yanked James upward, and he landed firmly on his butt. White-hot pain erupted in his ass, and he rolled around for a good while until the pain eventually subsided to a tolerable level.
He was curious about what saved his life, but he assumed Elyse had something to do with it. Well, anyway, there was a mission to be accomplished. James rubbed the pain from his butt cheeks and picked himself up. One of the last places James wanted to go was that fucking Inn, so he opted to check Crowsblood's post. Shit, where is that?! He shouted at the treehouse for directions to no avail.
