Gleaming metal armor reflects the sun's light in a dazzling display. Three rows of paladins trained in service to the church stand before me with stoic expressions on their faces. Beside me, my fellow inquisitor dons his helmet silently. He is a larger man with a daunting frame. The morning star he wields is said to crush through both metal and bone with ease. Thankfully, we are on the same side.

  I turn my attention away from Morning Star and instead to my own weapon. My gauntlet clad hands are resting upon the pommel of my claymore. Grabbing the handle, I wrest its blade from the earth. With practiced ease I place it into the sheath on my back. The gathered paladins straighten their postures upon seeing me move.

  Clearing my throat, I speak to them.

  "Paladins! You're here today to carry out God's will, to cleanse these lands of evil!"

  The gathered men stand up straighter as I address them. Their cause is a righteous one, and I make sure to remind them of that. My speech is not long, nor is it flowery, but it reinforces their piety and establishes our goal in simple terms.

  Today we are to cleanse the dungeon.

  Failure will be met with lethal consequences.

  "Squad one, you will be leading the way alongside Morning Star and I. Form up!"

  With six of the eighteen paladins hurrying to my side, I step through the threshold of the dungeon. This room is known as the antechamber among the locals. It's an in between space, where many consider threats nonexistent. I do not let down my guard.

  Behind me, Morning Star begins to corral the other two squads. He harries them along with the threat of his morning star swaying behind his shoulder. Many of the paladins fear him, and they are right to. He's a cruel and efficient killer.

  "Alright, we're going in to clean up the mess left by the unfaithful."

  I direct the paladins in my squad to follow me inside. It doesn't look how I expected it to, as the reports described a door leading into a forest. This door is an inky black. Nothing can be seen through the doorway, but I fear not, for God is on our side.

  "I'll be entering first. You follow me immediately after."

  With orders given, I step through the darkened doorway. The sensation of vertigo tugs at my belly before vanishing. The darkness blinds me for a moment only to soon slip away, revealing a moonlit path. There are blackened dead trees off the dirt pathway. There are no stars in the sky.

  My jaw tightens as I take a deep breath of foul air. This is certainly not what was reported--those that made that report must have been corrupted by heresy. They claimed to find a green, lush, forest. This is an eerie wasteland.

  Turning around I look for the exit, but find nothing. Instead I see where the dirt path I'm standing on trails off into darkened woods. The tree roots and occasional mound of ashy soil break up the road until it becomes impossible to follow.

  "What manner of sorcery is this?"

  Doubt begins to creep in as I glance up at the full moon overhead. I quickly shake it off, murmuring a prayer to ground myself in this harrowing situation. The distant cawing of crows reaches my ears. Clearly this place isn't completely dead.

  I'd best move. There's no telling where my men have ended up.

  Walking along the moonlit path isn't difficult. My boots thump quietly as I walk, my armor clinking with my movements. Minutes of walking pass without incident. Crows flit from branch to branch, doing utterly mundane things. The moon slowly crawls across the sky.

  Eventually something changes. The crows stop cawing for a moment, and the distant sound of a scream breaks the silence. Goosebumps erupt along the nape of my neck as I recognize the voice to be a man's. Could it be one of my paladins?

  Urgency sends me from a steady walk to a sprint. I move toward the source of the sound, charging off the beaten path in a bid to reunite with my forces.

  Twigs snap underfoot as I charge through the desolate wood. The tree's sharp branches scratch uselessly at my armor as I go. I pay them no heed, listening for the sounds of the man in peril. I hear nothing, so I shout.

  "Yell if you can hear me! It is I, Claymore!"

  The forest is quiet. My heavy breathing is the only thing breaking up the unsettling silence. I move a little slower now, my eyes darting between the shadows as I move. The moonlight is all I have to go by, so everything looks like it's going to jump out at me.

  Finally, when I've just about had enough of this forest, I feel my boot hit something. Looking down reveals that something to be a helmet. It is the standard kind any paladin would wear. I glance around the area for any sign of the helmet's owner, finding nothing.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  I crouch down and pick up the helmet.

  It's strangely heavy. I've worn and handled this kind of armor before, yet this piece weighs more than it should. I turn it over to inspect the front and-

  "Lord protect me..."

  The helmet isn't just a helmet. A man's head is still in the helmet, dripping blood down onto the dirt. His eyes have been gouged out. The neck area is a mess, appearing as if something twisted and pulled his head clean off his shoulders. A twig snaps somewhere behind me.

  Dropping the head, I whirl around and draw my claymore with a deadly flourish. I find nothing, no beast nor demon waiting to behead me. The faint sound of branches being brushed against and a man's voice reach my ears.

  "Hello? Is someone there?" I call out to the darkness, my voice shaky.

  The sound of footsteps approaching has me one edge. Then, in the moonlight, a man steps forward with a dour look on his face. It is not a man I recognize, but he wears the armor of the enclave. He is one of mine.

  "Inquisitor Claymore? I'm glad to see you, but the reports were all wrong!"

  Sighing in relief, I approach the paladin. He doesn't notice the head lying in the dirt behind me. Probably for the best--it would only shake his morale.

  "The reports were indeed wrong. This place is far more insidious than we thought... Have you found any of the others since entering, paladin?"

  The paladin shakes his head. It is clear this dead forest is getting to him by the way his eyes dart around aimlessly. Perhaps these are the early signs of corruption, of falling to this foul hell. For now I do nothing, letting him speak.

  "No, Inquisitor Claymore. I've been wandering the forest since I got here."

  "I see. Follow me, paladin. Stay close."

  He doesn't argue as I lead the way back toward the path. Our journey to the road is one of silence as he considers our circumstances and I consider him. When we do reach the road again he visibly brightens up. His eyes regain a bit of luster.

  "There's a road?" He mumbles.

  I don't grace his comment with a reply. Rather, I continue walking down the path in what I am certain is the direction of uncharted territory. The paladin follows me without complaint.

  More time passes in silence as we move along the road.

  The thing to break the silence is the paladin. He makes a noise of exclamation before pointing off the path, to our right. I follow his gaze and spot an orange glow between the black trees. Faint voices can be heard as we make a hasty approach.

  "I'm telling you, we need to go back! This is the wrong way!"

  The voice of a young man speaks in a whining tone. I cringe, seeing it is in fact one of the paladins speaking in such an unbecoming manner.

  "Are you sure? I swear there was something this way-"

  "Paladins! Attention!"

  My sudden call to attention catches the paladins off guard. They straighten up and turn to face me. Their fists slam to their chests in the appropriate salute. I can tell by the way they're sweating they've been having quite the trek through these woods.

  "Inquisitor Claymore! You're alive!"

  I scoff at his lack of discipline. It's a wonder these paladins were selected for this mission, seeing as they lose their cool as soon as something unexpected happens. When we return I'll have to see that they're reprimanded heavily.

  "Of course I'm alive. There's a road nearby, we're following it."

  The paladins look shocked by the news of there being a path in this forest. They follow my lead, joining the other paladin, making four of my six paladins at my side. One was in pieces, but hopefully the sixth is intact and doing well.

  We return to the road and walk it in relative silence. It doesn't take long for that quiet to fade, as the paladins are forgetting their training. The younger men chatter behind me as I lead the way. Like a bunch of children at recess, they gab about how frightening it was to find themselves alone after following their comrades through the door.

  Having had enough of their incessant chatter, I turn on my heel to scold them.

  "Am I in charge of a squad of paladins, or am I leading a parade of peasants?!"

  The paladins all fix their posture and look at me with nervous wide eyes. These men have lost their discipline in the face of something new and unusual. I can't believe-

  "Were there not four of you?" I ask, brow furrowed.

  Glancing awkwardly between each other, the paladins look confused by my question. They shrug noncommittally as if they haven't noticed anything amiss. I can't believe this. One of them is missing, and no one noticed?

  "Where is the fourth? There were four of you. Spread out and find him!"

  "Yes, Inquisitor Claymore!"

  Startled back into shape by my stern voice, the paladins begin combing the area. I watch them with my eyes narrowed. Three men in gleaming armor. They're not moving quietly, so how could we lose one so suddenly? I haven't been paying attention to their footsteps until now.

  Speaking of footsteps, why are they suddenly silent?

  My eyes widen as I whirl around in confusion. The forest is empty. I don't see anyone around me anymore, yet moments prior the paladins were searching the local area. The shadows are still. No crunching twigs or snapping branches.

  I tread carefully forward, searching for any sign of the missing paladins.

  "Sir Claymore?"

  The sudden sound startles me into drawing my blade. The huge two handed sword nearly reaches the terrified looking paladin who's just stepped out of the shadows. I sigh, relaxing my grip and sheathing my blade once more.

  "What is it, paladin?"

  "I believe I've found the missing person..."

  Pushing past the paladin I search for what he means. Then I see it--twisted and mangled, a man's corpse is crumpled in the soil. It looks like he was strangled. The unsettling part is how we never heard his struggle or any cry for help.

  Just what sort of monster is lurking in these woods?