[[repost from a few days ago]]

Cycles ago there once was a warrior who sought to defeat powerful enemies claiming that defeating the enemies and taking pieces of them increased his own power. Others were afraid of him and avoided him while those who took his challenge were eventually defeated. He became well known throughout the lands which caused his intimidation levels to skyrocket.

One day, a roaming traveler who had definitely heard of his strength asked him for help. There was an ancient temple which held a demonic and powerful force that lured children to become its slaves. The traveler went on to say that it had a gigantic amount of followers and that defeating it would not be easy. The warrior was silent during the traveler's story and when he finished, he said:

"It will be done."

He set out for the temple and in three days found it and entered. The guards posted and worshipers who tried to stop him were cut down with the flick of a finger and once the temple was empty the entity he was sent to destroy showed its face. It was massive; its main body covered in rough scales but was cut off by a golden ring. Above that ring was another torso with long limbs, a long neck, and a mask covering his head. The look it had on its face was unnerving and creepy. Unnatural even for a mask. However it didn't frighten the warrior and without a word he attacked it.

The entity applauded his efforts and was able to hold its own against him even going as far as to trick him. The battle was fierce and deadlocked for some time until the warrior gained the upper hand. With his speed and agility pushed to the limit he decapitated the evil entity and took its mask leaving behind a faceless void next to its rapidly decaying body. He hadn't gone unscathed himself having losing an eye and the front of his body scratched and gashed. His strength was depleted but that was normal for him and he began to walk it off.

Suddenly, the temple began to cave in and in his weakened state he was trapped, doomed to die in the temple. He wasn't bothered by this and had accepted his fate when the mask trophy he had taken flashed and in the blink of an eye teleported him into a strange world. Warm like a summer morning and lighter than air. The scenery around him was soft and bright with warm colors and what looked like embers danced around him. His aloof expression betrayed how surprised he truly was. In his distraction he forgot he had become weightless and before he could float off into forever, he was forced back by an invisible force.

The force was larger than the evil entity he had defeated just minutes before and it was far more intimidating. Two giant eyes, one green and orange and one purple stared at him. Instead of just one body there were two and the darker colored one held out its hand for him to land on. The warrior did so without his consent and was forced to stare into the eye. It only moved to look around and did not blink once.

"What is this empty place?" The warrior asked quizzically.

There was no reply. It simply flexed the three fingers on its hand. Just as the warrior opened his mouth to speak, he looked up having completely missed the other torso.

It was the same size as the smaller torso on the deceased entity but far more elaborate. Rubies encrusted its arms and torso and its mask was even more unnerving. One single golden eye turned sideways with familiar markings. Its horns were longer and its arms were scaled and encrusted in sapphires. Its fingers were thin and when it leaned over to touch him, he felt them scratch through his short fur even though it had no nails.

"It is "The Place." It replied to him as it caressed his head almost lovingly. It was very gentle and seemed curious. The warrior was not pleased by any of this.

"I did not a--"

"But you did ask." It took its other hand and placed it on his shoulders. "This is called "The Place" and I am the resident of The Place. What is your name?"

The Warrior was confused and looked around. The ember like particles encircling him.

"My name is Shabti. Shabti the Undefeated."

"Shabti the Undefeated. Your title is fitting. You defeated my copy on that physical plain and only suffered so little. You are truly skilled, perhaps the strongest warrior that has lived so far.."

Shabti was quiet. His eye never blinking at least until the hand lifted itself from his shoulder to touch where his missing eye was. It was warm this time and with a blink, his vision had drastically improved. His eye had returned and his other major injuries had began to heal.

"Why did you take me from the crumbling temple? What is the purpose for returning my eye..?" He was serious and was ready to attack if need be.

It didn't speak at first.

"You are a brave creature, Shabti the Undefeated. You defeated every enemy that crossed your path and the only ones you truly destroyed were the creatures who served no purpose but to kill and conquer. My copy in the temple. The traveler told you what it had done and what it would continue doing and instead of turning away you took the quest with no thought or care for yourself."

"I value the life of children," Shabti commented.

"I know. I saw how quickly you agreed to take the task. I was impressed."

There was silence that settled and Shabti was the one who broke it. He raised his hand and when he did the hand clutching his head pulled away to summon its staff. It was long and at the end a jackal like head crooked. It wielded it as if it were a small stick.

"Why am I here? Have I died?"

It said nothing and just stared at him. Finally...

"You have not died. I brought you here for no reason other than to comment on your abilities."

"Why did you heal my wounds?"

"I want to see more of you. I cannot enjoy your journey if you suffer from a handicap."

Shabti was confused and rose a finger to badger it with questions but he was shushed and forced his questions down.

"I enjoy watching the journeys of others. Some are more interesting than most but yours.... yours is quite possibly the most interesting of them all. You are a very interesting character Shabti the Undefeated and I would like to see more of you. I will send you back to continue and let you keep your trophy from your last battle. You earned it."

The large hand that held him up dropped from under him leaving him in the air and with the wave of the scepter..

He was gone.

When he woke up again, he was where he was before only among rocks and ruins. On his furled robe was a mask made of pristine gold and with the same unnerving unnatural expression is former wearer flaunted. He was bewildered as he stared at it. What had happened? It felt like a dream yet it wasn't. He sighed and got to his feet to attach the mask back to his robe. With a sigh and a look up he walked away from the ruins to continue on.