Moonbeams stabbed through cracks in the tunnel, filtering faint light. Sarah stared straight ahead as she sprinted.

Don't look back.. please... don't...

Her heart thumped with the urgent beat of a death drum.

Tripping on a half-eaten prisoner, the young woman stifled a scream. Her strong hands trembled on the blood drenched ground as they caught her fall. The tunnel smelled like a closet full of dead rats.

“Ssssaraaahh... Ssssaraaahh...”

The hissing voices of her captors filled the air. “There issss no essscape..”

Shadows of a Ven'eelg and its prisoner danced on the floor ahead of her. The pair obstructed her way out.

She glanced at the writhing reptilian tail. The Ven'eelg's sinewy arms looked human. Its torso looked like that of a human with grey-green body paint. The creature stood six feet tall. A thick chain linked its arm to its prey's neck.

As the dancing figures moved into the faint light, she recognized the face of her cousin in its clutches. A lump formed in her throat.

Joey!

“Go for it,” whispered the man.

Her cousin yanked the chain that bound him to the Ven'eelg, driving his knee into its chest. Doubling over, the reptilian creature hissed furiously.

Sarah dashed behind the Ven'eelg, right out of the tunnel, and into an immense courtyard.

“Sssstupid human,” it hissed. The Ven'eelg sank its fangs into Joey's thigh.

Joey's body convulsed uncontrollably against the ground. His skin shriveled up, black venom oozing out of his eyes, nose and mouth.

No! Her eyes stung with tears.

Adrenaline pumping through her veins,Sarah charged as fast as her sinewy legs could carry her, right into the path of a Ven'eelg. Her heart jolted as she slid to an abrupt stop.

“Where are you going Ssssarah? The masssster wantsss you,” it hissed. Its yellow eyes pierced right through her. Without warning, it sprang at her and spat a lethal black venom.

Her heart jumped. Spinning around, she dodged the poison. The venom landed on a rock, swiftly dissolving it.

The Ven’eelg's tail coiled up like a spring. Its fangs dripped with black venom.

She'd never forgotten their strength, having seen them rip off the arms of a fellow captive hours ago as its leathery snake-like tail squeezed the life out of a young child.

“Look at you. Your friendsss died in vain,” said the Ven'eelg. Its mouth curled into a smirk.

Something snapped inside her, awakening the warrior that slept within. “Enough!”

An odd calm came upon her as she picked up a large shard of glass that lay on the ground.

“Sssssilly Sssarah. Think you can essssscape? You'll fare no better than your friend Lily.”

Sarah turned on her attacker and stabbed the beast’s torso with the glass. “For Lily!”

Black blood spurted out. The creature doubled over and shrieked.

A wicked satisfaction welled up within her. She lunged at the Ven'eelg again, thrusting the glass into its back. “For Joey!”

“You vile human!” it screamed as it lashed its tail at her.

Sarah fled, straight into the path of two others.

“The massster isss not letting you go,” one of them hissed at her.

“Don't let fear paralyze you. Keep your eyes on your goal and go for it,” her father used to say. I'll do you proud papa.

Ven'eelgs swarmed the entire courtyard, like ants over spilled honey. Every possible route would lead her straight to these beasts.

Then it happened. An unseen force touched her head, making her entire body tingle.

She stood there, momentarily shocked. A Ven'eelg sprang at her. Instinctively, she leaped away.

I'm flying!! What's going on?!

Liberated, she soared in the air, like a bird freed from its cage.

Grasping hands of the Ven'eelgs brushed against her as she flew over them. One such hand grabbed her gown, pulling her down. “I got the human!” it cried.

Her heart pounded as she ripped her dress, leaving behind a shred of bloodstained silk.

Flying towards the clouds, she could see beneath her, a vast expanse of rubble. Ven'eelgs slithered among stones, overflowing from the castle ruins. A mountain range beckoned to her in the horizon.

“There's safety in the mountains,” her father always said. That was where she would go.

Then she faltered. Blood drained from her face. Her power of flight left as suddenly as it came. She screamed as she hurtled to the ground.

A warrior, one of those heroes in Joey's stories, hovered over her. He was an imposing young man with green fire in his eyes and skin enshrouded by a golden flame.

He looked terrifying, yet Sarah felt strangely drawn towards him. An unusual yet comforting warmth emanated from him.

“I'll help you,” he said as he offered her an open palm. She took his hand and he pulled her away from her tormentors.

She woke up abruptly.

Her eyes caught the gaze of a Herculean man who would have towered over everyone she knew. Flecks of green light sparkled in his amber eyes as he bent over her. He resembled the warrior in her dreams, though he seemed like a normal guy, unlike the terrifying warriors Joey had once described.

Sarah tried to still her palpitating heart.

The scent of musk and burning wood wafted up her nose.

“Who are you?” she asked as blood rushed to her cheeks.

“A friend,” he said in a voice as gentle as a breeze.

With his fingers, the stranger snapped open her handcuffs as though they were toothpicks.

“There,” he said, smiling at her.

That smile made her cheeks feel like glowing coals in a fire.

“Why did you help me? How did you break those handcuffs?” asked Sarah.

Ignoring her questions, the stranger flew away.

“Wait!” cried Sarah.

She tried to follow him but her power of flight was gone.

The sun winked at Sarah through the trees across the plain. Her bare feet delighted at the softness of the fine, lush grass that covered the meadow. The fragrance of jasmine mixed with lavender permeated the air.

“There must be other people around here. That flying hunk looked human enough,” said Sarah to herself.

Sarah stretched her arms and her back, drawing deep breaths of the sweet, fresh air.

“I'm free. So where do I go? Wish that guy didn't fly off like that. He could have given me directions.”

Peering ahead, she saw a man in hooded robes, leading a large horse down a path.

Maybe he can lead me to a town, or at least, a place where other people live, somewhere I can start a new life. Who knows, there could even be warriors there, like the ones Joey described. I can tell them about the Ven'eelgs. They will break into that lair and rescue my friends.

Like a child running to greet her grandpa, Sarah dashed towards the hooded man. He stopped and waited as though he sensed her approach.

She tapped on his shoulder. He turned around.

Hope...seeing light at the end of a tunnel, only to realize that you are standing on railway tracks. The light you see is from an oncoming train.

That was exactly how Sarah felt.

Within the man's hood, there was no face, only a pair of glowing red lights in the place of eyes.

Without warning, a skeletal hand darted out from the robe and grabbed her arm.

Fear and sudden strength jolted through her, sending her heart into a frenzy, and like a wild horse, she began to kick beneath his robes.

Her feet found nothing but air.

Her elbow jabbed at his stomach but there was nothing there either.

Fear again.

She realized that only darkness lay within those robes.

A ghost...

The creature tossed her onto his horse as if she were a rag doll and rode off. All the while, his unyielding grip on her arm ensured that she remain his captive.

“No one escapes the Master,” muttered the hooded creature.

Not the Master!

Sarah felt queasy. The thought of going through all that again sickened her.

She screamed and dug her feet into the horse's body. The horse startled.

Grabbing the reins with both hands, the hooded creature struggled with the horse to bring it back under his control.

“Stupid human,” he muttered.

Released from his grip, Sarah rolled off the horse and landed on her feet.

Adrenaline pumping anew, she sprinted into the woods, slipping through the narrow spaces between trees randomly, forcing her pursuer to dismount.

Like a monkey, she scurried up a large oak tree.

There she sat, motionless, while the hooded creature searched for her on the ground.

“Hummmph,” it muttered as it walked away.

Sarah waited until the creature was out of sight, then she scrambled off in the opposite direction from which it left – deeper into the woods.

Her stomach spoke up. She ignored it.

A rusty knife caught her eye. She bent over and picked it up.

Mad about being ignored, her stomach grumbled on. Sarah could barely hear herself think.

“OK, you win,” she said, staring at her concave, hungry abdomen.

Sunlight filtered through the branches in the trees above her, lighting the way. She walked through the woods searching for something to eat.

Salivating at the smell of apples, Sarah followed her nose and found an orchard. The trees there were laden with red apples, begging to be eaten.

With the ease of a chimpanzee, Sarah scampered up the branches and plucked a ripe apple. Sinking her teeth into its crunchy flesh, she sighed. The sweet juice trickled down her chin as she greedily gobbled down one apple after another.

Contentment - a full, round belly that stops complaining. Sarah was in a state of bliss. Slowly, she got off the tree, stretched herself out on the moss covered ground, surrendering herself to sweet blissful sleep.

Stirring at the rustling noise in the grass, she opened her eyes.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a hooded robe and a dagger on the ground, inches from her neck.

She jumped to her feet, rusty dagger in hand, shocked.

Her keen ears detected more rustling noises behind her.

Spinning around, she faced a Ven'eelg.

“You're mine now. The Masssster will not let you go,” it said as the ends of its mouth curled upwards.

Sarah plunged the dagger into the Ven'eelg's chest.

Black blood gushed out in spurts.

“I don't think so,” said Sarah, numbed by the horror she had already faced.

The Ven'eelg spit black venom at her.

She froze, recalling the destructive power of that venom.

Instantly, a wall of blue light sprung up between Sarah and the venom, saving her life.

Two other Ven'eelgs sprang up from behind the tree and charged at Sarah. One of them grabbed her arms with supernatural strength. The other lashed at her with its tail.

A glowing blue bubble enveloped Sarah, pushing back both Ven'eelgs, preventing them from touching her.

Looking up, she saw that flying stranger again. Her heart raced uncontrollably, disobeying her mind.

The stranger's hands were like golden balls of fire as he strode up to her. Dazzling golden flames shot from his hands, striking down the beasts.

Eyes wide open, mouth gaping, she stood there awestruck.

The light faded. There were piles of black dust on charred ground in the place of the monstrosities.

“You'll be fine.” The stranger's eyes twinkled as he spoke. He turned and walked away.

She looked at him with pleading eyes. “I won't. They'll keep coming. Please help me.”

Green fire burned in his eyes as they pierced right through her.

She felt a strange presence in her mind, as if observing her thoughts. Blood rushed up her face though she willed herself not to blush.

Wordlessly, he held both her hands.

Her hands tingled. A warm surge of energy flowed from him into her.

Then he vanished.