Chapter 18

They kept walking straight from the clearing, and then they were able to see sunlight up ahead. They all let out a sigh of relief as they realized they were safe for now. But then they saw something that immediately set them on guard again. Coming towards them was what appeared to be a cross between a man and a snake.

From the waist up, he was a young man. He had long dark hair with streaks of gray towards the front. It was left wavy around his face, skimming his bare shoulders. His face was young but strong; his nose, chin, and cheekbones were distinct. His skin was dark, like the bark of a tree, and his eyes were brown to match. He wore a gold earring in his right ear, and a gold crown sat on his head, with red rubies glimmering in the sunlight. His chest was bare, and you could see the outline of his abdominal muscles; he was clearly in very good shape.

He wore a loin cloth to cover the lower half of his body, where