Prologue : A Damp Clinic

"Knowledge is Power". You hear it all the time, that you can only survive on your knowledge of the world and its ways. And too be fair, they are probably right. But when my mind is clear it just feels so relaxing, no stress or problems, no reason to get up from where you lay.

'Wait, where the fuck?' It took me about 30 minutes to realize I was laying on a thin mattress. It wasn't particularly comfortable, but it wasn't bad enough to disturb me from my escapist fantasies. The room was dimly lit by a pair of lanterns, and dried blood lined the walls. I quickly sat up, and opened my coat to see that I too, was stained with blood.

After further examination, I came to the conclusion it certainly wasn't my blood. A feeling of dread creeped through my chest, an emptiness that welled to massive proportions as it spread through me. Lifting a foot off of the bed, I felt a squelch below my boots.

Below me, my foot was pressed through the hole in a dead mans chest. Teeth marks were visible through the darkness, and the dread only increased.

"Hello?" I tried to raise my voice, but it sounded hoarse from lack of use. Looking around the room, I could barely make out an envelope on the other side of the room, laying on a bloodied cot similar to my own. Bracing myself for the trip to the other side of a horrid lake of blood, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

'Well, it could be worse'. As the blood splashed onto my coat, I really don't think it gets much worse than this. After wading through the gore-laden room, I found myself examining the outside of the envelope.

"For those who wish to see the sunrise, accept this advice from a like-minded individual". I clawed open the oddly titled letter, to glean any possible information about where this is.

'Outside the walls of my clinic, beasts fill the streets of Valamer. Do not hesitate when you see the faces of your fellow man, for they have given into their love of bloodshed. The truth will guide you to your destination. Death cannot stop you from gaining the freedom you crave - Amara'. As if summoned by the ink on the letter, a growl erupted from behind the rickety door. A crash sounded, and the door now sported a wide hole in the center, exposing the light on the other side.

I leaped off the dilapidated cot, and a splash of blood caught me in the face as I raced to find a weapon. A small syringe was all there was in the way of sharp objects, and before he could do any more searching the door was once again rocked by the impact of the beast on the other side. The weak door was now reduced to splinters, and a doglike creature with feral yellow eyes pushed his way through the entrance, a low growl escaping it's throat.

I held my comically small syringe out in front of me, for whatever defense it may provide. The beast bared its teeth once more, mocking me for the pathetic attempt at defense.

Suddenly, it sprang off its stocky hind legs. I dived back onto the cot where the letter had once rested. A loud crash indicated it had hit the glass cabinet, now it was time to put the plan in action.

I pushed off of the cot, syringe raised high, and plunged toward the beasts exposed nape. Unfortunately for me, the beast leapt into the syringe, and it bounced off its tough chest and onto the floor.

'Fuck' The beast fit its jaw around my arm, and cleanly ripped it off in a shower of blood.

'Wait, shouldn't this hurt?' As I pondered the lack of pain, the beast took advantage of my idleness and plunged it's claws towards my neck.

'Well, that sucks'.